BBQ Bites for Lag B’Omer

This year, Lag B’Omer takes place from Saturday evening, May 25, through Sunday, May 26. The holiday, which occurs on the 33rd day of the count of the Omer, is a festive break during the solemn 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot.

“It’s Lag B’Omer; time to cook outdoors, to smell the flowers and enjoy the beauty of G-d’s creation” – Judy Elbaum

“It’s Lag B’Omer; time to cook outdoors, to smell the flowers and enjoy the beauty of G-d’s creation,” Judy Elbaum, founder of LeaveItToBubbe.com, told the Journal. “Here’s a great recipe for grilled chicken kebabs to add to your repertoire.”

Judy Elbaum’s Chicken Kebabs with a Honey Mustard Sauce

Serves 4

Before you begin, make sure to have at least one dozen bamboo or metal skewers for the chicken and any vegetable kebabs you plan on grilling.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 Tbsp. canola oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup honey mustard
1 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper

Thread the chicken cubes onto the skewers leaving space on either end of skewers to allow for easy turning from side to side.  Brush kebabs with 2 tablespoons of oil. Then season them with salt and pepper.

In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining canola oil. 

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce to about 1 tablespoon. Add the brown sugar and cook for one minute.

Whisk in the chicken stock, honey mustard and curry powder, and combine all ingredients well.

Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 – 10 minutes, until sauce has thickened to desired consistency.

Preheat your barbecue grill for at least five minutes.

Place kebabs on the barbecue. After about 5 minutes flip the kebabs and brush on the honey mustard sauce. Grill for another 5 minutes, flip kebabs and brush the other side with the sauce.  

The chicken kebabs should take about 10 minutes total to grill. Make sure they are cooked through on the inside and no longer pink.

Chag sameach!

“Lag B’omer is a time to light the grill,” June Hersh, author of “Food, Hope & Resilience, Authentic Recipes and Remarkable Stories from Holocaust Survivors,” among other titles, told the Journal. “You can always throw some burgers or hotdogs on, but why not try a spicy, garlicky treat that comes to us from Romania?”  

Hersh first learned about little sausages, called mititei, from Holocaust survivor Olga Schaerf. Hersh said that Jewish Americans go with the Yiddish name karnatzlach. Schaerf came to America via South America after having escaped persecution by moving from Czernowitz to Bucharest. 

“Serve them as a fun starter and be sure to accompany them with the simple dipping sauce,” Hersh said. “Not only will you be getting your grill on, but you’ll be giving a nod to a Jewish food tradition.”

Olga Schaerf’s Mititei

The recipe first appeared in “Food, Hope & Resilience, Authentic Recipes and Remarkable Stories from Holocaust Survivors” by June Hersh.

Yield: 12 pieces

15 minutes prep, 4-24 hours marinating.

1 lb. ground beef
4-5 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 generous splash Worcestershire sauce*
1 Tbsp ketchup
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a medium bowl combine the ground beef, garlic (grated over the meat so the garlic juice is incorporated), salt, paprika, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and parsley. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to one day.

Light the grill. Wet your hands and form the meat into rounds, the size of golf balls, then elongate into a thumb-like shape about 3 inches long. Grill for about 4 minutes, turn over, and cook another 3-4 minutes until nicely charred. Serve at once with dipping sauce.

Note: Some enjoy these bites a bit spongier. If you would like to try that version, add ¼ cup seltzer and ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the meat.

DIPPING SAUCE

(Omit if you do not feel it is kosher or source a kosher substitute.)

Combine ketchup with Dijon mustard, cumin and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

CJA’s Grilled Herb Potato Salad

“On Lag B’Omer we are supposed to light a bonfire to honor the light that was Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai (central to the creation of the mystical Kabbalah),” Danny Corsun, founder of Culinary Judaics Academy (CJA), told the Journal. “Foodwise, we cook with fire.”

There’s no better recipe to accompany your grilled meat or chicken than CJA’s grilled potato salad. This recipe can be adjusted to be done in the oven, so both options are below.

“CJA swears by it whether it’s for Lag B’Omer or the 4th of July,” Corsun said. “Enjoy and here’s hoping that this Lag B’Omer, we can see and celebrate the light in each other!”

8 Tbsp olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Handful of chopped fresh thyme and rosemary leaves
2 lbs small potatoes (red or white), cut in quarters
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely diced shallots
1 cup chopped basil leaves
4 tsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon Juice

OVEN: Preheat the grill/oven to 350°F.  Mix 5 tablespoons of the olive oil, chopped garlic cloves, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of herbs (thyme and rosemary). Add potatoes and toss. Spread out the potatoes onto a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and fork tender.

GRILL: Place the baking sheet directly on the grill and shut the lid for 12 minutes. Use tongs to flip the potatoes and leave on the closed grill for another 5-10 minutes. Remove when golden brown and fork tender. 

When potatoes are cool, place them in a bowl and scrape the pan drippings into a measuring cup. You want 3 tablespoons of oil, so if you need more than what the dripping renders, add olive oil to the drippings to measure that amount. Gradually add the reserved oil and shallots to the potatoes. 

In a separate small bowl, whisk the mayo, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard together. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and combine. Add chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. If possible, let stand for 1 hour at room temperature. Serve.