This year's seder is still familiar; just a little updated. (Credit: All, Ditte Isager)
Across the country, a new crop of chefs is reinventing Jewish delicatessen standbys. They're serving smoked trumpet mushroom Reubens at Wise Sons in San Francisco, and you can order a celery soda cocktail at DGS Delicatessen in Washington, D.C. And if the shmear on your bagel can be made from local, grass-fed dairy, then your Passover menu deserves a touch of 2013, too. This year's seder gets a revamp from chef Austin Zimmerman of Stopsky's Delicatessen on Mercer Island, WA. "At the restaurant, we start with the standards," he says, "then change the technique or ingredients to make a dish relevant to contempo-rary cooking." Zimmerman does the same here, enlivening flanken-style short ribs with a flavor-packed chile paste, reimagining gefilte fish with whitefish that's been smoked and fried, and giving macaroons a cool new look (and a welcome touch of lime zest). It's enough to impress today's chefs and bubbes alike.
Chile-Braised Short Ribs
Smoked Fish Fritters with Beet Vinaigrette
Lime-in-the-Coconut Macaroons
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Prepare beets and vinaigrette and the fritter mixture.
Marinate the short ribs; let chill overnight.
Bake the macaroons.
THE DAY OF
Braise the short ribs and vegetables.
Just Before Serving
Reheat the short ribs and vegetables.
Fry the fritters. Remember: Last-minute frying is essential to crisp results. Use a couple of big skillets and you'll be at the table in no time.
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