Friedonionandchickenkreplach Recipes

FRIED ONION AND CHICKEN KREPLACH

Steps:

• Separate the onions into rings.
• To draw out the moisture, toss in a bowl with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; set aside for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.
• Then place the onions between sheets of paper towelling, pressing down to soak up as much onion water as possible.
• Meanwhile, prepare the chicken: roughly shred it (preferably using your fingers, so you can find little bits of gristle or bone) and place in a bowl.
• If the chicken is very dry - usually the case if you are using chicken left over from soup - spoon some broth over it, mix well, and let it drink in the liquid for at least 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over med-high heat; add the onion, and keep tossing with a spatula as they soften and begin to golden.
• Stir in the garli and continue cooking and turning, until the mixture is a deep caramel color, but before it turns crispy, about 5 minutes.
• Stir the onions into the chicken and let cool slightly,
• Add the egg, dill, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour.
• Fill and trim the kreplach using about 1 heaping teaspoon of filling per krepl, folding into a tight triangle, and sealing with the egg wash.
• Poach the kreplach, in a large wide pot, bring at least 5 qts of lightly salted water to boil.
• Slip in the kreplach, one by one, being careful not to overcrowd the pot (if necessary cook in batches).
• Lower the temperature slightly (the kreplach might explode if the water is boiling furiously) and poach until tender - 3-5 minutes (exact time will vary on the brand of wonton wrappers used).
• Lift out the kreplach, a few at a time with a large skimmer, gently shaking the skimmer so the water drains back into the pot (they are too fragile to pour into a colander).
• Serve the kreplach in soup. Or serve poached or sauteed kreplach with gravy, fried onions, or fried mushrooms as a side dish or appetizer.

KREPLACH

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, eggs, and salt, as if making pasta. You will probably need to add about 5 to 6 tablespoons of water to reach the desired elasticity in the dough. Work it on a floured board, kneading for about 10 minutes. When it's smooth and elastic, pull it into something resembling a square. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
• Place the chicken fat in a heavy saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and saute until the onions are medium-brown, about 10 minutes. Place the onions in the work bowl of a food processor, and add the sliced beef and allspice. Puree until smooth. Taste, and season well with salt and pepper.
• Roll out the kreplach dough into a large square, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into smaller squares, about 2-inches each. You should have about 24 squares. Divide the beef mixture among them, placing a tablespoon or so of the beef mixture on the center of each square. Triangular kreplach are traditional; fold each square once to form a triangle, then pinch the edges with your fingers. You could also make square or rectangular kreplach, depending on how you fold and pinch.
• To cook the kreplach, drop them in a pot of boiling chicken soup. Traditionally, they are cooked for half an hour or so, until the noodle is soft. An alternative, giving the noodle a more AItalian@ bite, is to cook them for 15 minutes. Serve the kreplach in soup, 3 to 4 to each bowl.
• Note: Though it is traditional to serve these kreplach in chicken soup (3 to 4 per bowl), they can also make a terrific Jewish Apasta@ dish. For authenticity's sake, you can't use dairy products in the sauce but a thickened saute of mushrooms (in a vegetable oil, of course) would be a great topping
• Drink: Seltzer

FRIED MEAT KREPLACH

Steps:

• For filling: In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Toward end of cooking add garlic, and stir well.
• Add beef, breaking it up well with side of wooden spoon. Sauté until it has lost its raw color. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• For dough: Mound flour on a wooden board (or in a large mixing bowl). Make a well in center. Break eggs into well, then add 2 tablespoons lukewarm water. With a fork, beat eggs and water together, incorporating a bit of the flour. As liquids blend, continue to push flour into well. Drizzle in 2 more tablespoons water, one at a time, or as needed to make a cohesive dough.
• When dough is well blended, mix it by hand, then begin to knead it on a flat surface. With a bench scraper, turn dough and press it with your fingertips, then knead a few strokes again. The dough should remain slightly sticky but become smooth and elastic; if dough is very sticky, lightly sprinkle work surface with flour. Form dough into a ball and let rest on the board, covered with a bowl or a piece of plastic wrap, for 30 minutes.
• Using half the dough at a time, and keeping other half covered, roll out very thin on floured board. You may need to stretch as you roll. Alternately, use a crank-handled pasta machine on thinnest or near thinnest setting.
• To fill and shape kreplach, cut rolled dough into 3-inch squares. Put 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in center of each square. With a brush or a finger, moisten edges of squares with water. Fold dough from corner to corner, forming a triangle, and seal carefully.
• To cook kreplach, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, add kreplach -- do not crowd pot -- and boil until dough is cooked and tender to taste, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and cool. (Kreplach can be frozen at this point. To use, thaw in refrigerator or at room temperature.)
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1/8-inch vegetable oil. When oil is shimmering, add boiled kreplach and fry until well browned and crispy on both sides. Serve hot, accompanied by applesauce, if desired.