Cholent Instructions

A day before you start preparing the cholent, cover the beans with water and let them soak for 6 hours. Discard the water and rinse the beans. Sauté the onions in oil and brown the meat.

Heat the honey in an 8-quart Dutch oven (8 liters) until it caramelizes. Then add the beans, barley, potatoes, and meat. Dissolve the salt, pepper, and paprika in a little water and add to the pot. Pour on enough water to cover the ingredients.

Add the meat bones, the whole onion with its peel (it adds color to the dish), and the raw, unpeeled eggs. Bring to a boil before Shabbat begins. Cover the pot with aluminium foil and the lid. Place in an oven preheated to 210°F (100° Centigrade) and braise overnight. Cholent should not be stirred!

In the morning, take off the lid and check the water: if the water still covers the meat, let simmer for another 2 hours until the sauce thickens. If there is no water left, add some.

Serve this dish on individual plates or a big platter!

Note: To prepare a vegetarian version of cholent, simply replace the meat with a big can of tomatoes.

And another suggestion: This is a dish which allows your creativity to run wild. You can choose different varieties of beans, add chestnuts, prunes, sausages, or even more potatoes, or make the stew with poultry instead of beef.