Cooking with Judy: A new cookbook offers a Hanukkah dish that combines tradition and something new

As the saying goes, Jewish holidays are always either early or late. They’re never on time!

Hanukkah sneaks up on us early this year. We’ll begin lighting candles at sundown tonight, Dec. 7, so prepare for an oil crisis, and I’m not referring to the price of gas. Who knew when Judah Maccabee’s tiny flask of oil miraculously burned for eight days that for thousands of years Jewish families would celebrate by frying.

It wouldn’t be Hanukkah without latkes, those crunchy, addicting fried potato pancakes, and plans are already in the works at Temple Beth Tikvah of Fullerton for a Latkes and Vodkas Karaoke night on Dec. 12. (Other festivities for the holiday include a Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Mati on Dec. 8 and a cookie exchange on Dec. 13.)

For Jews of Eastern European heritage (the majority in the United States), including potato latkes on the menu is sacrosanct, but this holiday is all about the oil, not the potato, so why not add something new to your repertoire? I found a recipe for Algerian Meatballs in a new cookbook, “Shabbat” (Avery, $35), by Adeena Sussman, whose first solo cookbook, “Sababa” was named a Best Fall Cookbook by The New York Times, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine. Here, the meatballs are fried in olive oil, our nod to the Hanukkah tradition, before being bathed in a rich, fragrantly spicy tomato sauce.

The recipe comes from Alex and Rebecca Mandel’s French-Algerian mother, Roxane. Alex is Sussman’s friend and neighbor in Tel Aviv, and when Rebecca visited last summer, they arranged a Zoom cooking session with Roxane, who demonstrated “her famously tender, juicy Shabbat boulettes (meatballs), and I could hear some of her stories,” writes Sussman. “Over the next few hours, I learned about Roxane’s enchanted childhood in Algiers, living close to the Mediterranean Sea and drying off with monogrammed towels brought home from her father’s textile factory.”

By the late 1960s conditions were less idyllic for Jews in Algiers, and her father had to sell the family business before they fled, “agreeing to pay a government official a 60% ‘commission’ to leave with some of their assets,” Sussman writes.

“Shabbat,” named a Best Cookbook for Fall 2023 by the LA Times, Food & Wine, Eater, and Simply Recipes, is filled with such stories accompanying recipes from family, friends, local cooks and chefs – recipes that you’ll want to use for other holidays and occasions. Because no work is performed on the Sabbath, the recipes are do-ahead, approachable and relaxed, and Sussman helpfully shares her smart techniques and sound prep.

Fullerton’s Judy Bart Kancigor is the author of “Cooking Jewish” and “The Perfect Passover Cookbook.” Her website is cookingjewish.com.

ALGERIAN MEATBALLS

From “Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours” by Adeena Sussman.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• 1 medium russet potato (8 ounces), peeled and quartered
• 1 pound ground turkey, preferably a mix of light and dark meat
• 1 small onion, finely minced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons ground caraway
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 jumbo onions, finely diced (5 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 pounds tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (5 1/2 cups cubed), or three 14–ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled
• 1 1/4 cups water, plus more as needed
• One 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• One 14-ounce can artichoke bottoms or hearts, drained and quartered

Frying and finishing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Cooked rice, for serving
• Chopped fresh mint, for garnish

Method:

1. Meatballs: In small saucepan, cover chopped potato with 2 inches cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until tender, 16 to 17 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, transfer to large bowl, and mash. Add turkey, onion, parsley, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, caraway, coriander, fennel, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, gently combined everything, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

2. Sauce: In very large, high-sided saucepan or soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 1 more minute, then add tomatoes, cilantro, salt, cinnamon, sugar, bay leaves, and bouillon, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and reduces, 15 to 20 minutes. Add water, chickpeas, and artichokes, bring mixture back to a simmer, and continue simmering over low heat while you fry meatballs.

3. Fry meatballs and finish the dish: Using lightly moistened hands, form meat mixture into 27 or 28 walnut-sized balls and arrange them on baking sheet. In large skillet, heat oil over medium low heat. Working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding pan, brown meatballs, turning often, until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes total. Add meatballs to sauce, move them around gently to cover with sauce, and simmer until sauce thickens further, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with cooked rice and garnish with mint.