chanukah
A BRITISH TA STE OF THE HOLIDAY
Chanukah Brings Out
the Oil and the Good Cheer
Ethel G. Hofman | Special to the JE
to 5 minutes to soften. Do not over-
crowd. Remove and drain them on
paper towels. Turn up the heat. The
oil should not be smoking hot.

Add the potatoes, and cook them
for 3 to 4 minutes longer until the
fries are golden and crisp.

Drain the fries on paper towels.

Sprinkle them lightly with salt. Serve
hot. A
h, Chanukah — the holiday
when we eat fried foods to com-
memorate the miracle of the
20 Crunchy Zucchini Sticks (Dairy)
Makes 24
chips (recipe below).

Beer-Battered Fish (Pareve)
Hand-Cut Chips (Pareve)
Cook’s tips:
*Substitute Old Bay seasoning for
paprika. *Leftovers may be reheated to crisp
in an air fryer or 375-degree oven.

Cook’s tips:
*Idaho/russet potatoes are the best
due to high starch and low moisture
content. *Soaking removes excess potato
starch, which prevents fries from
sticking together and helps maximize
crispness. *Keep the oil on a back burner
away from kids. Hot oil causes serious
burns. Serves 6
2 pounds tilapia fillets cut in half
lengthwise 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon each salt, freshly ground
pepper and paprika
1 egg, lightly beaten
¾ cup beer
Vegetable oil (or oil of choice) for frying
Pat the tilapia dry with paper tow-
els. Set it aside.

Prepare the batter: In a medium
bowl, stir the flour, salt, pepper and
paprika. Add the egg and beer; whisk
it to a smooth batter. Set it aside.

Pour enough oil into a large heavy
pot until about 2 to 3 inches deep.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Quickly
dip the tilapia into the batter, then
gently place it in the hot oil. Do not
crowd it. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until
the tilapia is a nice golden brown.

Serve the fish hot with hand-cut
DECEMBER 1, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Serves 4-6
3 Idaho potatoes, scrubbed
Vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
for frying
Kosher salt (optional)
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.

With the cut side down, cut them into
thick sticks.

Place the sticks in a large bowl,
and cover them with cold water. Soak
them for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in
the fridge. Drain well. Place them on
a large baking sheet lined with paper
towels. Pat dry.

In a large heavy pot, heat 2 inches of
oil over medium heat to 300 degrees F.

Add the potatoes, and cook for 4
3 medium zucchini
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
(or oil of choice)
1 egg
¾ cup panko
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray
it with nonstick baking spray.

Trim the zucchini ends. To cut into
sticks, cut each zucchini in half, then
cut each half in half lengthwise, then
Pixabay Happy Chanukah!
Cook’s tips:
*Bell peppers may be used instead
of zucchini.

*No panko? Process the bread in a
food processor. Depending on thick-
ness, 2 slices give about ¾ cup.

Photo by Ethel G. Hofman
oil. The eight-day “Festival of Lights,”
which begins this year on the eve of
Sunday, Dec. 18 and ends on the evening
of Dec. 26 (always starting on the 25th
day of the Jewish month of Kislev), cele-
brates the victory of Judah the Maccabee
and his four brothers over the Syrian-
Greeks in 165 BCE. The Syrian-Greeks
had forbidden Jews from practicing
their religion while trying to impose the
paganism of the Hellenistic world.

After the Holy Temple in Jerusalem
was desecrated, there was only enough oil
for one nightly lighting of the menorah.

But the small amount of oil miraculously
lasted for eight days. Today, Chanukah
represents a triumph of light over dark-
ness — a time to show Jewish pride. We
light the menorah, spin the dreidel and
feast on delicacies fried in oil.

Growing up on the remote Shetland
Islands, on the first night of the holi-
day, we dined on battered fish, usually
fresh cod, along with chips — thick,
hand-cut potato sticks (more like jumbo
French fries) cooked up in oil. On fol-
lowing nights, we ate traditional Eastern
European fare: potato latkes, blintzes,
kugels and fresh, hot doughnuts dredged
in powdered sugar with a side dish of
homemade rhubarb jam.

To deep-fry items, use a frying basket
that fits into the pot and allows you to
remove food from the hot oil without the
use of utensils; it’s safer and less messy.

For accurate temperatures, it’s best to
invest in a glass, deep-fry candy ther-
mometer (about $10).

If you don’t have a thermometer, test
the oil by dropping a 1-inch square of
bread into it. If it takes 60 seconds to
brown, then the oil is ready. Or test the
oil with the stick end of a wooden spoon;
it’s ready when bubbles form around the
stick. If bubbling hard, however, the oil
is too hot and needs to cool a bit. The oil
should never be smoking hot.