Israeli Chef Shares Rosh Hashanah Feast Preparation Tips

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, chef Eitan Mizrahi of The Yacht hotel in Herzliya Marina offers advice for hosting large gatherings without exhaustion. He emphasizes calm preparation, starting with menu planning days in advance, followed by strategic grocery shopping. Mizrahi suggests focusing on quality over quantity, recommending 4-5 well-chosen appetizers and two main dishes to cater to diverse tastes.

For shopping, he advises buying meat and fish three days before the holiday and vegetables two days prior to ensure freshness. Mizrahi recommends preparing vegetables, chopping ingredients, and completing time-consuming kitchen tasks the day before the holiday to maintain a clean workspace on the actual day.

Certain dishes, like roast beef, head meat, or tongue, benefit from being cooked a day ahead, allowing flavors to meld and deepen. These should be prepared, sauced, and then reheated just before serving. Conversely, salads and lighter dishes, especially those with leafy greens, should be made at the last minute to preserve their freshness.

Reheating pre-prepared dishes should be done sequentially according to serving order to prevent drying out or burning. Table setting, including tablecloths, dishes, and cutlery, is best done the day before to allow focus on cooking. Mizrahi also suggests pre-selecting serving dishes for each meal and labeling them to streamline the final plating process. The final preparations, including making salads and reheating main courses, should commence two hours and one hour before the meal, respectively, ensuring a relaxed host ready to enjoy the holiday.