WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE: I was looking to get out of my Ashkenazi “comfort zone” and found this Sephardic main dish. Once I settled on it, I centered the rest of the meal around Sephardic recipes. It included Matbucha for an appetizer; a Spehardic challah; Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Citrus & Olives for the salad; and Biscochos and Spiced Fruit Compote for dessert. Thnak you Bev for your delicious contributions to this meal!
Dafina
A Moroccan cholent, traditionally served for lunch on Saturday after services.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lg onions, chopped
- 1 head garlic, peeled whole cloves
- 2 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
- 1 lb marrow bones
- 5 lbs brisket (see notes)
- 1 lb small potatoes, kept whole
- 2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
- 4 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp allspice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp turmeric
- pinch of saffron powder
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt & pepper
- water to cover ingredients
- 4 lg eggs in their shells
- 1 bag "Boil-in-Bag" quinoa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200° F. and, if observant, turn on warming oven or electric warming tray
- In a large pot, heat the oil and saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic cloves, chickpeas, bones, meat, potatoes, honey, paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add enough water to cover, place the eggs in the center, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 hour. Skim off the foam occasionally. Add the quinoa bag, cover the pot tightly with 2 layers of aluminum foil and lid, place in the oven, and cook overnight.
- In the morning, check the water level and tenderness of the meat. Continue cooking if not tender. If tender and there is too much liquid, remove everything but the liquid and reduce liquid on top of the stove. Please note that If cooking over Shabbat, traditionally observant Jews would refrain from turning on the stove for doing so would run counter to Sabbath laws against manipulating flame and cooking.
- Place everything separately in one large serving dish, covered, and keep in warming oven or on warming tray until ready to serve.
Notes
I used brisket that was part flat end and part point end as I like the flavor that the fat from the point end provides. You could use a chuck roast or just the flat end if you prefer.
ADAPTED FROM: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/recipe/dafina/
Leave a Reply