I have decided that the Rosh ha Shannah dinner I will prepare at home this year (the eve of the holiday falls on Friday 6 September 2002) will replicate that served by Benjamin Disraeli in 1876. During the years he was Prime Minister of England (1874 -1880), Disraeli adopted the habit of inviting important members of the government to his country home every year to celebrate Rosh ha Shannah. Because he enjoyed Jewish tradition, he insisted that certain rules be followed at these meals. The first course had to be based on fish; at least one course had to contain sliced carrots and the main course had to be especially luxurious.

No less important to Disraeli was that every Rosh ha Shannah dinner had to contain several types of food that were unfamiliar to his guests. In addition to following tradition, these new foods and dishes gave Disraeli, who gained enormous pleasure from proving how erudite he was, an opportunity to show off his knowledge of culinary and social history.

The dinner he served in 1876 consisted of nine courses - three appetizers, three fish dishes and three desserts. Included in the new and exotic foodstuffs utilized were quail eggs from Italy, fromage frais from France, the fish known as "bass" from the United States and litchis that had come from China. Quail eggs have been considered luxurious fare since the time of the Pharaohs. In fact, during the reign of Ramses II, who isoften identified as the Pharaoh who held office during the time of the Exodus, these tidbits were so highly valued that the death penalty was imposed on those who violated the law and killed and ate female quails. Fromage frais, which is fresh, unfermented cheese, has been a favorite in France since the 14th century and was a special favorite of King Louis XIV who once called it "the Good Lord's gift to rich and poor alike".

Litchis are native to the Far East, and when they were first cultivated in China, nearly 5,000 years ago, the litchi wasconsidered a fruit so delicate and rare that it was served only in the homes of the extraordinarily wealthy. Nearly a thousand years ago, under the rule of the Song Dynasty, hundreds of thousands of acres of land were planted with litchis and the fruit was soon available to nearly all Chinese. Several years ago, litchi shrubs were imported into Israel from China and several thousand acres of land within Israel were planted with these delicate fruits. Fresh litchis are incredibly more tasty than those that come in tins.

Rock bass (known in Hebrew as bas ha sela) is native to North and Central America as well as to the Caribbean islands. The first European to encounter this firm fleshed, low fat fish was probably Christopher Columbus who described them in his diary as "so versatile that they taste marvelous if fried in a pan, cooked on an open fire or made into a stew". The rock bass now raised in artificial ponds in Israel are now considered among the best in the world.

Those who care to replicate all or part of Disraeli's holiday meal today will be pleased to note that regardless of whether they live in Israel, England or the Americas there is no need whatever to import any of the foodstuffs he used. The recipes for the dishes Disraeli served are given below.

Quail Eggs Carmen

8 thin slices white bread
melted butter as required
8 thin slices of smoked salmon
16 quail eggs
salt to taste
sweet paprika as required

Trim the crusts off the bread and, using a cookie cutter cut out 6 cm. rounds. Generously brush each side of these croutons with melted butter and place them on a baking sheet in an oven that has been preheated to 190 degrees Celsius. Turn the croutons once until both sides are nicely browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to keep warm.

In a heavy skillet heat 1 Tbsp. of the butter and in this heat the salmon slices through. Remove the salmon from the skillet and set aside to keep warm. To the skillet add more of the butter and heat through. Into this break the eggs, taking care not to break the yolks and then fry them until they are done to taste. Do not turn the eggs over during frying. Remove the eggs from the heat and sprinkle over lightly with salt.

To serve, cut the salmon slices into 5 1/2 cm. rounds and trim the egg whites so that they are the same size as the salmon rounds. On each toasted crouton place a slice of salmon, on the salmon place one egg and sprinkle over with sweet paprika. Serve two of the croutons to each guest and serve hot as an hors d'oeuvre. (Serves 4).

Florentine Eggs

1 kilo spinach, cooked and chopped
3 Tbsp. sweet cream
salt and pepper to taste
8 eggs
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
4 tsp. anchovy paste
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the chopped spinach, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer this mixture to a lightly buttered shallow casserole dish and spread evenly. In the spinach make 8 depressions and into each break an egg, being careful not to break the yolks. Sprinkle over with the Parmesan cheese and on each egg place 1/2 tsp.of the anchovy paste. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius until the eggs are set. Serve immediately. (Serves 8).

Fromage Frais with Apricot Liqueur

250 gr. fromage frais
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. apricot liqueur
white pepper to taste
1/4 cup sweet cream, beaten almost stiff
mint leaves for garnish

Pl;ace the cheese in a small mixing bowl and with a wire whisk, whiskthe cheese lightly. Add the sugar and apricot liqueur and then season to taste with white pepper. Fold in the whipped cream and place in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 1 - 2 hours. Twenty minutes before serving, transfer the mixture to individual serving glasses and place in the freezer. Serve directly from the freezer, garnished with one or two mint leaves.


Bass Scaloppine

6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 Tbsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 kilo bass fillets, with skin removed
6 Tbsp. butter
3 sweet green peppers, seeded and cut into strips
2 medium onions, sliced and separated into rings
1/2 cup Marsala or Sherry wine

In a bowl combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper and with this mixture dust each fillet, coating well.

In a large heavy skillet melt the butter and in this saute the green peppers and onions until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon lift out and set aside the onions and pepper to keep warm. Brown the fillets lightly in the skillet, adding butter if the and skillet becomes too dry and then return the onions and green pepper to the skillet. Add the Marsala wine and simmer, covered, until the fish is done (3 - 5 minutes). Serve hot. (Serves 6).


Salmon Cutlets with Mushrooms

5 Tbsp. butter
4 slices of white bread, without crusts
4 salmon cutlets or steaks
salt and pepper to taste
about 2 Tbsp. flour
16 mushroom caps
2 Tbsp. Madeira or port wine
2 Tbsp. sweet cream

In a large heavy skillet melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter and in this fry the bread slices until nicely browned on both sides. Remove the toast slices and set aside to keep warm.

Season the cutlets lightly with salt and pepper and then sprinkle them lightly with flour. In the skillet in which the bread was fried, melt the remaining butter and in this saute the cutlets, turning once, until they are half-cooked. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and continue cooking until the salmon is cooked through, taking care not to overcook.

Place one slice of the toast on each of four preheated serving plates and over these place the salmon cutlets. Distribute the mushroom caps on the salmon and set aside to keep warm.

To the liquids in the skillet add the Madeira wine and sweet cream. Heat through, correct the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and spoon this sauce over the salmon cutlets. Serve at once. (Serves 4).


Fillet of Sole with Wine and Cheese Sauce

8 large sole fillets
1 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. Gruyere cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. Parmesan, grated

In a large skillet cook the fillets in the wine, bay leaf and a pinch of salt until the fillets are nearly done (7 - 9 minutes). Arrange the fish in a baking dish.

In a saucepan bring the milk just to the boil and then immediately remove from the flame.

In a separate saucepan combine the flour and melted butter, stirring constantly over a low flame until the mixture is even in texture. Slowly add the boiled milk and then the salt, pepper, nutmeg and Gruyere cheese, stirring constantly. Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and place in anoven that has been preheated to 200 degrees Celsius until golden brown (about 10 minutes). Serve hot. (Serves 4 or 8).


Litchi Pie

250 gr. fresh litchis, peeled and with pits removed (despite my better judgement, it is possible to use tinned if fresh not available)
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 can condensed milk
1 graham-cracker pie crust (can be made at home or purchased ready made at the supermarket)
whipped cream for serving

Using a blender or food processor, puree the litchis. Strain the puree, discarding the excess liquids.

In a mixing bowl blend and whip together the eggs, and litchi puree adding just enough condensed milk until the mixture is semi-liquid. Pour the mixture into the graham-cracker pie crust and refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) for 4 hours before serving. Immediately before serving, top with the whipped cream. (Serves 6 - 8).

© Daniel Rogov