Braised brisket with dried fruits

6 servings

Quantity Ingredient
3½ pounds (to 4 lb) brisket
\N \N Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 pounds Onion(s), finely chopped
3 \N Carrots, finely chopped
3 \N Stalks celery finely chopped
2 \N Garlic clove(s) minced (2 tsp)
½ cup Port kosher concord grape wine or marsala
3 cups Beef or chicken stock or water (approx)
\N \N Bouquet garni of bay leaf, thyme and parsley
8 ounces Dried apricots (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup Sultanas
¼ cup Chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Trim the fat from the brisket and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 325øF. Heat the oil in a non-stick fry pan. cook the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until golden.

Transfer the vegetables to a large roasting pan. Add the brisket, port, stock and bouquet garni. Bring the liquid to a boil on the stovetop. Tightly cover the pan and bake the brisket in the oven for 1« hours.

Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and thinly slice it on the diagonal. Return the brisket to the roasting pan and stir in the dried fruit. Make sure the fruit is submerged in the cooking liquid. Add stock as necessary to cover it completely. Cover the pan and bake for 1-2 hours or until the meat is tender. Add stock or water as necessary to keep the meat and fruit moist. If there's too much cooking liquid, uncover the pan for the last half hour to allow some of it to evaporate.

Arrange the meat on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fruit to the platter around the meat. Skim the fat off and pour the gravy into a gravy boat. Spoon some of the gravy over the meat and fruit, serving the rest on the side. Garnish with parsley.

High-Flavor, Low-Fat Cooking by Steven Raichlen ISBN 0-1402-4123-X pg 143 Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 10-24-95

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