EATING OUR FEELINGS
4 tbsp schmaltz 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup) ½ carrot, peeled and chopped (about ¼ cup) 1 rib celery, chopped (about ½ cup) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 4 cups beef stock 1½ tsp salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper INSTRUCTIONS Set a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add schmaltz, onion, carrot, and cel- ery. Sauté until they start to brown around the edges, about five min- utes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until vegetables are soft, another five minutes. Add flour and mix well with a wooden spoon to make a roux. Cook, stirring fre- quently, for about three minutes. Stir in stock, a little at a time, letting the roux absorb the liquid before adding more (this will help prevent lumps). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for about 45 minutes, skimming any scum that rises to the surface. (“You don’t want to boil a flour- thickened sauce because the heat will cause the starch granules to burst and the sauce will thin out,” Schroeder explains.) Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. (Go easier on the salt if using canned rather than homemade broth). Pour generous- ly over pan-fried kishka.
She isn’t alone in making that judgment call: anywhere you go in North America, you’ll find someone striving to recreate the classic East Coast deli. Generally, this will feature pastrami or smoked meat, which takes a huge effort and delivers narrow profit mar- gins —but there’s an audience for them that transcends reli- gion or demographics. Kishka is different, which is why, when- ever hospitality folk pull off one of these deli revival acts, kishka is usually left off the plate. It’s a B-side at best, a niche item craved by fewer and fewer peo- ple as time goes by. One Jewish restaurateur, a kishka lover, told me he puts kishka on as a special once a year. No one buys it. Like an Eat-More candy bar or a turkey neck, kishka is that delicacy you know you won’t have to share with too many people. But for Schroeder, that makes it all the more powerful as a reminder of her roots. “I have a frozen kishka sitting in my freezer, waiting for me,” Schroeder suddenly remembers while we’re talking. As soon as we’re off the phone, she thaws it, fries it up, and covers it with gravy. “This gravy is really only as good as the stock you use,” says Schroeder. “Either start with your own beef stock, or buy the best low-sodium broth you can afford.” She sends me a photo and I realize I have a kishka in my freezer too. Neither of us remem- bers where our kishkas came from, or when. But clearly, they were both put there by someone who loves us, and they both fill the same emotional need.
BEEF GRAVY FOR KISHKA MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS I’m not going to ask anyone to make kishka; you can buy it in select Jewish food shops. (A par- tial list: in Toronto, it’s available at Nortown Foods, Olive Branch, and Kosher Gourmet; in Montreal at The Fooderie, Lipa’s, and Adar; and in Winnipeg at the Grant Park Sobeys.) I will, however, advocate for making a rich gravy — an adaptation of Lisa Schroeder’s — to turn this freezer-aisle comfort food into a rich indulgence. “This recipe makes a lot,” Schroeder says, “but it is going to simmer for at least an hour, so you might as well have something to show for it. Gravy freezes well and can be re- heated on the stove over low heat.”
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FOOD/PROP STYLING/PHOTOGRAPHY MARISA CURATOLO
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