Your child’s bar/bat mitzvah is almost here. For the last several weeks, friends and family have been hopping planes from all over North America and Israel to attend.
Restaurateurs and cookbook authors Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are advocates of home entertaining. “If you want to make everyone feel comfortable and relaxed, decorate the house with bright happy colours and serve Mexican,” they say, particularly if it’s a Friday.
Enjoy.
Halibut veracruzana
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger
This dish can also be made with sea bass or snapper.
o 1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless fillets of halibut, or other firm-fleshed fish, cut into 4 portions
salt and pepper to taste
o 3 tbsp. olive oil
o 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
o 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
o 2 Serrano chilies, stemmed and sliced in 1/4 inch disks
o 1/2 cup lime juice
o 1 tomato, cored, seeded, and cut in strips
o 1/2 bunch (1/4 cup) fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped
o 1/2 cup Spanish green olives, sliced
o 1/2 cup white wine
o 3/4 cup fish stock
Season fish fillets evenly with salt and pepper. Heat one very large skillet or two medium skillets over medium-high heat for a minute; coat pans with olive oil. Add fillets and turn heat to very high. Sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then flip to sear the other side, about 1 minute. Transfer fillets to a rack over a plate to catch the juices and reserve.
Return the pan (or pans) to high heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, for 1 minute or until it starts to brown. Add garlic, chile slices, lime juice, tomatoes, oregano, and olives and sauté briskly for an additional minute. Add wine and boil until reduced by half.
Pour in fish stock, bring to boil; reduce to a simmer. Return fish fillets, along with their juices, to the pan. Cover and cook gently for 2 minutes or longer, depending on thickness of fillets. Taste broth and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve with a generous puddle of broth and garnish of vegetables. Serves 4
Tortilla soup
From Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken
o 5 garlic cloves, peeled
o 10 Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered
o 3 tbsp. olive oil
o 1 large yellow onion, diced
o sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
o 8 cups vegetable stock
o 1 dried chipotle chili, stemmed and seeded (optional)
o 3/4 lb. tortilla chips
Garnishes: 1 bunch (1/2 cup) cilantro leaves; 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped; 2 limes, cut in wedges
Purée garlic and tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over low heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until pale brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato purée and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring frequently.
Pour in vegetable stock and add chipotle chili (if desired). Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in tortilla chips and cook 10 minutes longer, until chips soften. Remove and discard chili. Serve hot, with cilantro, avocado, crema, lime wedges and some extra crisp fried tortilla chips for adding at the table. Makes 6 servings
Watermelon lemonade
From Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger
o 4 cups watermelon chunks, seeded
o 2-3 tbsp. sugar (to taste)
o ½ cup cold water
o 5 ice cubes
o juice of 1-2 lemons (to taste)
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth. Serve over additional ice. Makes 4 servings.
