Egg and Gribenes Spread

Egg and Gribenes Spread
Egg and Gribenes Spread
I wanted to include this Baron family recipe because it underscores how rooted in poverty Jewish cuisine is. This is a traditional spread to be served on crackers or toast, an easy and inexpensive canapé. It shows off the versatility of the egg, the power of schmaltz to enrich, the forcefulness of the gribenes to flavor, and the power of the onion. Onion and egg, that's it. In its plainest form—egg, sautéed onion, gribenes, schmaltz, salt and pepper—it's good but very plain. Arthur Schwartz's version, chopped by hand and mashed slightly with a fork, is even plainer-eggs, schmaltz, salt and pepper, enlivened with raw onion. That said, its greatness lies in this simplicity. Lois is going to get a little huffy, but I've fallen back on my habit of giving this a little sparkle with some minced shallot macerated in lemon, a kick with cayenne, a little more depth of flavor with fish sauce, and a nice crunch from some diced celery folded in-but it's up to you. No matter how you make it, it goes great on water crackers, matzo, thinly sliced toast, and would be a great garnish for a green, leafy salad. For a more fanciful canapé, combine it with chopped liver. This recipe can be doubled.
  • Preparing Time: -
  • Total Time: -
  • Served Person: 2 cups/350 grams
Jewish Condiment/Spread Egg Onion Appetizer Passover Sugar Conscious Kidney Friendly Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 spanish onion, finely diced
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons/15 to 30 grams schmaltz
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot macerated in a tablespoon of lemon juice for at least 5 minutes
  • 1 small celery stalk, diced
  • 2 tablespoons/15 grams gribenes
  • Carbohydrate 2 g(1%)
  • Cholesterol 191 mg(64%)
  • Fat 10 g(16%)
  • Fiber 0 g(2%)
  • Protein 7 g(13%)
  • Saturated Fat 3 g(16%)
  • Sodium 193 mg(8%)
  • Calories 131

Preparation 1. In a small saucepan, cover the eggs with 1 inch/3 centimeters of water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water reaches a full boil, cover the pan and take it off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the covered pan, off the heat, for 12 to 15 minutes, then remove them from the water. (Or, if you have a pressure cooker, steam them for 7 minutes, then chill; these are invariably easier to peel.) Run the eggs under cold water, or transfer them to an ice bath, till they're thoroughly chilled. Peel the eggs. 2. Meanwhile, in a separate small saucepan over medium heat, saute half the onion in 1 teaspoon schmaltz till translucent. It's a good idea to give them a pinch of salt as you do this, don't be shy. Transfer the onions to a plate and allow to cool slightly. 3. Combine all the ingredients except the celery and gribenes and do any of the following: put them through a meat grinder fitted with a medium or small die; coarsely chop them in a food processor; chop by hand and finish by mashing to a pleasing consistency with a fork. Then fold in the celery and the gribenes. Reprinted with permission from The Book of Schmaltz: A Love Song to a Forgotten Fat by Michael Ruhlman, © 2012

Preparation 1. In a small saucepan, cover the eggs with 1 inch/3 centimeters of water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water reaches a full boil, cover the pan and take it off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the covered pan, off the heat, for 12 to 15 minutes, then remove them from the water. (Or, if you have a pressure cooker, steam them for 7 minutes, then chill; these are invariably easier to peel.) Run the eggs under cold water, or transfer them to an ice bath, till they're thoroughly chilled. Peel the eggs. 2. Meanwhile, in a separate small saucepan over medium heat, saute half the onion in 1 teaspoon schmaltz till translucent. It's a good idea to give them a pinch of salt as you do this, don't be shy. Transfer the onions to a plate and allow to cool slightly. 3. Combine all the ingredients except the celery and gribenes and do any of the following: put them through a meat grinder fitted with a medium or small die; coarsely chop them in a food processor; chop by hand and finish by mashing to a pleasing consistency with a fork. Then fold in the celery and the gribenes. Reprinted with permission from The Book of Schmaltz: A Love Song to a Forgotten Fat by Michael Ruhlman, © 2012

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