The Dish: Israeli chef Michael Solomonov

Israeli chef Michael Solomonov is a master of Middle Eastern cuisine. His Philadelphia restaurant Zahav has become a must-visit venue for food lovers and last year earned Solomonov a James Beard award for outstanding chef. He also won the 2016 awards for both cookbook of the year  and best international cookbook. 

Here are some of Solomonov's signature recipes: 

Yemenite beef soup

Steak ingredients

1 pound boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 tablespoons schmaltz or olive oil
4 tablespoons hawaij
Kosher salt
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, slivered
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
2 cilantro sprigs, plus more leaves for serving
2 parsley sprigs, plus more leaves for serving
12 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled 

Directions

1. Combine the short ribs, 2 tablespoons of the schmaltz or oil, 2 tablespoons of the hawaij, and 1
tablespoon salt in a large bowl. Mix well to evenly coat the meat and transfer to a plate. Cover
loosely with parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons schmaltz or oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until
shimmering but not smoking. Cook the short ribs, turning occasionally, until browned on all
sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
3. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the onion, garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons hawaij.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the
crushed tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes more. Add the reserved short ribs, chicken
stock, cilantro, and parsley and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 2 hours. Add the potatoes
and continue cooking until tender, about 20 more minutes. Serve the soup in bowls topped with
cilantro and parsley leaves.

Hummus tehina

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ cups Basic Tehina Sauce, plus a bit more for the topping
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Paprika
Chopped fresh parsley
Olive oil, for drizzling 

Directions

1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of the baking soda and cover with water. (The
chickpeas will double in volume, so use more water than you think you need.) Soak the chickpeas
overnight at room temperature. The next day, drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water Place the chickpeas in a large pot with the remaining 1 teaspoon baking soda and add cold water to cover
by at least 4 inches.
2. Bring the chickpeas to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the
surface. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and continue to simmer for about 1 hour, until the chickpeas are completely tender. Then simmer a little more. Drain. 
3. Combine the chickpeas, tehina sauce, salt, and cumin in a food processor. Purse the hummus for several minutes, until it is smooth and uber-creamy. Then puree it some more!
4.To serve, spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, dust with paprika, top with parsley and more tehina sauce if you like, and drizzle generously with oil. 

Pita in the home oven 

Ingredients

2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil 

Directions

1. Mix together ½ cup water, the yeast, and sugar in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about  5 minutes.
2. Combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until blended. Add the yeast mixture, another ½ cup water, and  the oil and mix on low until the dough forms a ball that pulls clear of the sides and bottom of the bowl. (If after a minute the mixture doesn't form a ball, add a tablespoon of water.) The moment the dough starts to pull clear of the bottom of the bowl, add ½ cup water and continue mixing until incorporated. The dough should feel tacky when slapped with a clean hand, but it should not stick. (If it sticks, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.) 

3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about
an hour. Alternatively, let it rise in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 500ºF, with a rack in the upper third. Place a baking stone or an inverted
baking sheet in the oven to preheat as well.
5. Roll the dough into 8 balls the side of baseballs. Cover with a cloth and let rise until they are
about the size of softballs.
 6.Roll each dough ball to about a ¼-inch thickness (about the size of a hockey puck) with a floured rolling pin on a floured work surface. Place one or two at a time on the baking stone or baking sheet and bake until puffed and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately, or let cool. 

Feta borekas 

Ingredients

2 large eggs
2 ½ cups crumbled feta
1 sheet Boreka dough or store-bought puff pastry
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds 

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat one of the eggs and add the feta. Stir well to combine.
2. Place the cold sheet of boreka dough on a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 8 (4-inch)
squares. Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of the feta filling onto one half of a square, leaving
about an ½-inch border at the edge. Fold the dough over into a rectangle and press at the
edges to seal. Repeat until all the borekas are formed. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking
sheet and refrigerate for an hour; they should be cold and firm to the touch.
3. Preheat the oven to 425ºF, with a rack in the upper third. Beat the remaining egg and brush the
tops of the borekas, then sprinkle with the poppy and sesame seeds. Bake until the dough is
golden brown, about 15 minutes.
4. Covered, at room temperature, borekas will keep for 2 days. Don't refrigerate them. They'll
reheat quickly and well in a 325ºF oven for 5 minutes.  
5.Filled borekas can be frozen before baking. In that case, put them directly in a preheated 425ºF oven; don't thaw them first. 

Shredded carrots with sour cherry harissa

Ingredients

1½ cups dried sour cherries
8 red peppers, peeled and seeded
4 garlic cloves
1½ cups ground aleppo pepper
½ cup red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
6 medium-sized carrots, peeled
Lemon juice 

Directions

1. The night before, place the sour cherries in a large bowl. Pour 2 cups of water over the cherries and let soak overnight. Drain the cherries and reserve the liquid.
2. To roast the red peppers: preheat the oven to 400ºF. Lay the red peppers on a sheet tray and roast for an hour, turning the sheet tray halfway through, until the peppers are very dark and the skins easily peel off.
3. To make the harissa: add the cherries, reserved soaking liquid, red pepper, vinegar, aleppo pepper, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until a paste forms. Season with salt to taste and set aside.
4. Using a box grater, shred the carrots into a large bowl. You should have about 4 cups. Add 2 cups of the prepared harissa and season with salt and lemon juice to taste.

Poached beets with pickled turnips and sumac onions

Ingredients

Pickles
4 cups distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
¼ cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons sumac
1 ½ cups diced turnips (4 large)
1 ½ cups diced red onion (3 large)

Beets
4 cups diced red beets (10 large)
1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup olive oil
⅛ cup pickling liquid
3 tablespoons sumac 

Directions

1. To make the pickles: Combine all the ingredients in a large stock pot over high heat. Meanwhile, place the red onion and turnips into a large bowl. When the pickling liquid comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat and reserve ¼ cup of the liquid. Pour half of the remaining liquid over the onions, and half of over the turnips. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator and let rest for at least 24 hours.
2. To poach the beets: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the whole beets in an even layer in a dutch oven or deep hotel pan. Pour the distilled white vinegar over the beets, along with two cups of water. Cover with parchment paper and two layers of aluminum foil and cook in the oven for two hours, or until the beets are tender. Using a towel, peel the skin off the beets and dice into small cubes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the poached beets, turnips, onions, and the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt. Serve.

Black & white donuts by Federal Donuts

Ingredients

12 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for rolling and cutting dough
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baharat
Canola or peanut oil, for frying 

Directions

1. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can certainly use a hand mixer, or even a sturdy whisk, instead.
2. Mix on low speed until ribbons start to form in the mixture and the color lightens, about 3 minutes. Slowly stream in the melted butter until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the buttermilk all at once. Mix again just to combine, about 5 seconds.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 ½ cups flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and baharat. Add to the mixer all at once and mix on low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again on medium-low until the dough looks smooth and starts to pull away from sides of the bowl, 20 to 30 seconds.

Rolling the Dough

Prepare a counter work space by fastening a large piece of parchment paper with tape at the corners. Have 1 cup of flour nearby to use as needed. Generously flour the work surface. Scrape down the paddle attachment and turn all the batter out onto the floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with more flour, sprinkling the edges as well. Flour your hands well, too.

With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to a ½-inch-thick rectangle, about 10 by 14 ½ inches. Add more flour to prevent sticking. Brush the excess flour off the dough and parchment paper with a pastry brush. Transfer the dough on the paper to the back of a baking sheet and slide it into the freezer for up to 30 minutes.

Cutting the Donuts

We use two sizes of ring cutters to make our donut shapes: the larger about 2 ¾ inches in diameter, and a 1-inch cutter for the holes. (Feel free to use a drinking glass and a shot glass.) Flour the cutters well and often to prevent sticking. Begin with the large cutter, then cut out the smaller holes. Return the baking sheet with the dough rings to the freezer until ready to fry. (At this point, the frozen rings can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer for up to 2 days. Let thaw slightly before frying.)

The dough scraps can be gather together and rerolled, or cut into small, irregular shapes and fried as they are.

Frying the Donuts

Clip a candy or deep-frying thermometer onto one side of a big enameled cast-iron pot and add 2 to 3 inches canola or peanut oil. Heat over medium-low until the oil reaches 375ºF.

Carefully lift the dough rings with a spatula and slide them into the oil, about 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pot. After about 90 seconds, the edges will begin to brown; flip the donuts with a slotted spoon. Fry for another 90 seconds until golden brown and delightfully puffy. (Donut holes take 60 to 90 seconds and tend to flip themselves.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the donuts on a rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Reheat the oil to 375ºF before cooking the next batch. Let the donuts cool.