Extinct Foods

Helzel I

Cubed Hallah, or White Bread may be substituted for the Matza and/or Flour. Saffron, Cinnamon, Ground Meat and/or Chopped Eggs may be added to the stuffing.

Ingredients

Directions

1. If necessary, de-bone the neck
2. Mix all ingrediants and stuff loosely into the neck
3. Sew both ends of the neck
4. Roast the העלזעל Helzel with the rest of the bird
5. Baste with drippings from the pan
6. Finished when the rest of the bird is done
7. Serve, sliced, with a little gravy


Helzel II

Ingredients

Directions

Sew up narrow end of casings. Clean and wash inside thoroughly, removing all membranes.

Mix flour with matzo meal, add salt, pepper and minced onion. Mix well.
Add shmaltz and blend thoroughly using hands. Mixture should be moist. Add more fat if necessary.
Fill casing about two-thirds full with mixture. Close up opening.
Scald helzel and scrape clean if neces- sary. (Do not fill to top because filling will swell.)

To roast: line bottom of pan with onions, add a little water.
Simmer on top of stove for an hour.
Add about one-half cup catsup and roast in oven, covered, for about two hours, or until brown.
You may, instead, put helzel in with your pot roast.

P'tcha I

In Russian, this dish is known as Petchah or Galareta or Kholodets. In Yiddish, P'tcha (פצה) or Feesl (פסל). It is known as Pacha in Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia / Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece. Iran, Mongolia and Turkey. In Romanian - Pilseh, Fisnoga in Spanish.

To modern palates, P'tcha is known as "Oh, No, I'm not going anywhere near that!" or simply "No Way". Which is a shame, since nothing brings Old World Charm to the table like Jellied Calves Feet with hard boiled eggs suspended in the gray gelatin, like hollow sullen eyes begging the question "Why?"

Ingredients

2 Calf Feet
10 cups Water (enough to cover the feet)
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 Onion, peeled and diced
1 Bay Leaf
6 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/2 cup White Vinegar
4 to 6 Hard-Boiled Eggs

Directions

1. In a pot, bring the water to a boil and add the calfs foot
2. Add the Bay Leaf
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 6 hours, until all the meat and gristle can be easily removed from the bone. Skim the froth from the top while it's boiling.
4. Strain, remove meat and gristle from the bone. Mince the meat and gristle and add back to the strained liquid along with the onion, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, allspice and vinegar
5. Return to boil for an additional 10 minutes
6. In a mold, spoon the meat / gristle and cover with liquid. Place eggs into the mold.
7. Chill until firm. The p'tcha, not yourself.


P'tcha II

Ingredients

Directions

Put calves foot into pot with water to cover.
Boil for 45 minutes.
When Cooked, remove from heat, strain liquid and put aside.
Cut meat off bones, and remove marrow. Cut into little pieces. Throw bone and hoof away.
Cut meat and marrow into liquid that was put aside.
Squeeze in half a lemon, add two pinches of sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
Mash 2 cloves of garlic and add to liquid.
Cut in the whites of the hard-boiled eggs, and put all into a mold.
Shred yolks very finely on top.
Chill until firm and cut into squares before serving.

Gefilte Fish I

Makes 30 teeny Gefilte Fish, 24 normal-sized, 1 humungous Gefilte Leviathan

Ingredients

Fish Balls

Stock

Sauce

Directions

To Make the Fish Balls: Have the fishmonger fillet the fish and grind it together twice so that the combination has a smooth texture. Reserve the heads, bones and skin for stock. Place the fish in a large bowl. Add the onions, eggs, matzoh meal, sugar, salt, pepper and almond extract. Mix the fish with your hands or a wooden spoon and gradually add the ice water. Be thorough and patient. Season the fish to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate it while you are preparing the stock.

To Make the Stock: In a large enameled pot, approximately 12 by 17 inches, place all the fish trimmings, onions, carrot, water and seasoning. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently, covered, for 45 minutes. Let stock cool a bit. Wet a cotton cloth with cold water, wring it dry and drape it over a large bowl. Strain the stock through the cloth. Wring the cloth to obtain all the liquid and flavor from the bones and vegetables. (This stock will be cloudy; do not worry about it.) Rinse the pan and return the stock to it.

To Make the Sauce and Fish: Add the onions, carrots and seasonings to the stock. Bring to a boil. Mix the ground fish again. Have a bowl of cold water nearby. Wet your hands well. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of fish in your hands and shape a smooth oval. Place it in the cool stock and continue with the remainder. Be sure to wet your each time.

Cover the pan and bring the fish to a gentle boil. Cook slowly for 45 minutes, turning the fish once. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Let the fish cool completely, then transfer to a tight-fitting container and chill overnight

To Make the Horseradish Peel the horseradish root and grate it finely by hand. Moisten it frequently with lemon juice to prevent it from turning gray. Mix well and refrigerate in a tight-fitting container.

To Serve: Serve the gefilte fish with the sauce and place horseradish on the side.

Note: If you have an electric mixer, use the flat beater to make the fish ovals.

Gefilte Fish II

Ingredients

Directions

Have fish filleted. Keep skin and bones. Head may be used too. Grind fish and 1 1/2 onions into bowl. Start mixer at medium speed. Add whole eggs one at a time, beating all the while. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Continue beating and add water a little at a time, enough to make a medium batter that can be handled. Batter should be shiny and fairly smooth. Line bottom of pot (Dutch oven suggested) with sliced onions. Add the bones and skin. Add enough boiling water to cover. Form balls with wet hands. Wrap in pieces of skin if desired. Put each fish ball carefully into pot while water is slowly bubbling, forming layers. If desired, sliced carrots may be used between layers. Simmer covered for about two and one-half hours. Add more water if necessary.

Beet Jellied Gefilte Fish

Ingredients

Directions

Drain beets, reserving liquid. Add water to liquid to make 2 1/2 cups. Chop beets fine and refrigerate. Soften gelatin in water. In small saucepan heat 1 cup of the beet liquid to boiling. Remove from heat and add the softened gelatin and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add the remaining beet liquid, lemon juice, salt and horseradish. Chill until partially set. Stir in chopped beets. Pour into oiled 6 cup or 6 1/4 cup mold and arrange the fish evenly throughout the jellied mixture. Chill 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Turn out on serving platter and garnish with curly endive, deviled eggs, cucumber slices and celery curls. Serve with cucumber dressing.

Tongue

Serve with Blackberry Raisin Sauce

Ingredients

Directions

Wash tongue and place in large kettle with all remaining ingredients.
Add enough cold water just to cover meat, and bring slowly to a boil, skimming surface frequently.
Simmer tongue, covered, over low heat about 3 1/2 hours or until tender.
Let cool in stock.
Drain it, peel off skin, trim away root and gristle.
Cut into slices and reheat slowly in blackberry raisin sauce.

Sweet and Sour Pickled Tongue

Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds pickled tongue
1 cup currant jelly
1 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup mustard

Directions

Boil tongue in small quantity of water until tender. Peel when hot. Refrigerate and slice cooled. Place sliced tongue in shallow pan. Mix chili sauce and currant jelly and pour over tongue. Spread about 1/4 cup mustard over top. Bake at 325 degrees until browned.