Tierra Sur, the restaurant at the Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, features an eclectic kosher menu that is part Mediterranean and part Californian. Its executive chef, Todd Aarons, has spent time cooking in California, New York, Tuscany and Israel, where he developed an interest in creating gourmet kosher cuisine.
Aarons says that his interest in Sephardic cooking also comes from his Sephardic Israeli wife and her family’s recipes. A few of his Passover recipes — that are certainly different than most Passover fare — are below.
For more information about Tierra Sur, visit herzogwinecellars.com or call (805) 983-1560.
— alexandra j. wall
Hreimeh (Spicy Moroccan Fish with Peppers) | Serves 4-6
3 lbs. boneless and skinless filet of cod, snapper or sea bass (or substitute any white, flakey, low-fat fish), cut into 2-inch filets
3 Tbs. pure olive oil
1 red onion, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red & 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
2 cups fish stock or vegetable broth
5 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. harisa (see second recipe)
1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, packed, roughly chopped
1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro, packed, roughly chopped
2-3 Tbs. red wine vinegar to taste
salt and pepper to taste
In a large sauté pan, preferably straight-sided, heat your olive oil over medium heat and add the red onions, garlic and bell peppers. As the vegetables cook gently, salt and pepper your fish filets. Don’t let your onions and peppers brown as they sweat down and release their juices.
When the peppers are soft and the onions translucent, add the fish stock, tomato paste and harisa and stir well to incorporate.
When the sauce begins to simmer, add the seasoned fish. Cover and reduce the flame to a gentle simmer. Once the fish is cooked through and begins to flake, uncover and add the parsley and cilantro. Sauce should be thick. If necessary, simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid, making sure not to burn the bottom.
Adjust to taste with red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Harisa
3 Guajillo dried chili pods
3 Ancho dried chili pods
4 garlic cloves
1 Tbs. caraway seed, ground
2 Tbs. toasted coriander seed, ground
3 tsp. salt
Toast the chili pods on a dry skillet until they puff up and become pliable. Take care that they do not burn.
Place toasted chilies in a bowl or pot and add enough boiling water to cover the chilies. Keep them submerged by placing a small plate on top of them. Soak for 1 hour, then drain and remove stems and seeds. Reserve the liquid.
Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and puree, adding some of the reserved chili water (minus the seeds) as needed to reconstitute it into a paste.