With the advent of Independence Day (Yom HaAtzma'oot) on Thursday, 26 April, literally millions of Israelis will pour out to the mountains, lake and seashore, and dessert, there to invest vast amounts of energy in the national sport of the day - cooking over hot charcoals. The favorites of the day will be kebabs and shishliks, frankfurters and other sausages, hamburgers and spiced lamb chops. The fact that none of these dishes originated within Israel (the kebabs come from the Balkans, the shishliks from Turkey, the sausages from Germany and the lamb chops from Greece) interferes with the pleasure not at all.

Those who want to celebrate to the tune of a somewhat different and perhaps more sophisticated drummer will find that the following dishes, each by a well known local chef or restaurateur, will do splendidly on the charcoal grill.

Red Tuna in Parmesan and Celery Sauce
Rafi Adar - Pronto, Tel Aviv

6 pieces red tuna fillet, each about 220 grams
100 gr. butter
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
200 ml. fish stock
30 gr. Parmesan cheese, grated finely
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sprinkle the tuna slices with salt and pepper and cook over hot charcoals or under a hot grill until the fish is seared on the exterior but still medium-rare on the interior. Set aside to keep warm.

In a heavy skillet melt the butter and in this saute the onion, garlic and celery. Add the fish stock and cook over a medium-high heat until reduced by half. Remove from the flame

Saute the onion, garlic and celery, all chopped in the butter. Add the fish stock and cook over a medium-high heat until reduced by half. Remove from the flame and stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter. Process in a food processor and strain through as fine a strainer as possible. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve by spooning some of the sauce over the tuna fillets. (Serves 6).

1 kilo boneless and skinless chicken, cut into cubes of 2 x 2 cm.
about 12 spring onions, white parts only, cut into 2 cm. lengths

for the teriyaki sauce:
1 Tbsp. ginger, fresh and crushed
1 clove crushed garlic
2/3 cup soya sauce
1 Tbsp. sake
¼ cup mirin
3 Tbsp. sugar

Impale the chicken pieces on 10 - 12 cm. long wooden skewers, interspersing with pieces of green onion.

Combine all of the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil while stirring regularly over a low flame.
Dip the skewers into the sauce, let drip dry for a second or two and then place these over hot charcoals to grill, brushing lightly with the remaining sauce as you turn the skewers occasionally. Serve hot on the skewers, ideally accompanied by rice and an oriental salad. (Serves 4 - 6).

Grouper with Fennel and Tarragon
Nazzia Genedi - Shonka - Jerusalem

1 grouper, about 1 kilo, cleaned
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 sprigs of fennel with the light green leaves intact
2 cups fish stock
juice of two ripe lemons
4 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

With a sharp knife, make four slits on each side of the fish. Brush the fish with 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil, and coat generously with the coarse salt, patting the salt on with a damp hand. Place 3 sprigs of the fennel in the cavity of the fish.

Distribute the remaining fennel on a baking pan slightly larger than the fish. On those place the fish, pour over the fish stock, sprinkle with the juice of 1 of the lemon and over all sprinkle the chopped shallots. Transfer the fish to an oven that has been pre-heated to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for
about 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the liquids and just before serving place the fish over hot charcoals or under a hot grill for about 5 minutes.

While the fish is in the broiler, prepare a sauce by beating together the remaining lemon juice, the remaining olive oil, the tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the fish to a serving plate, drip over a bit of the sauce and serve at once. (Serves 4).

© Daniel Rogov