I WAS OBSESSED with food as a kid but grew up thinking most Jewish dishes were gross,” says Laurence Faber, chef at Knoxville’s Potchke deli, which he co-owns with his wife, Emily Williams. Back then, he was more interested in things like hummus and falafel than the traditional Ashkenazi recipes like strudel, vareniki (dumplings), eggplant salad, and matzo ball soup that were handed down by his great-grandmother, who came to America from the border of Moldova and Ukraine in 1921. “She passed away when I was a couple years old, so I never got to actually taste her cooking,” Faber says. Nevertheless, the dishes that she made were cherished by his family and ultimately guided him on his culinary journey.
A Memphis native, Faber grew up immersed in the Jewish community, but when it came to customs like keeping kosher, his family wasn’t strict— except for on holidays. “I’ve always loved Passover because it is the most food oriented,” Faber says. The eight-day celebration starts with cleansing the home of all hametz (foods or drinks containing leavening agents) and bringing in the matzo, followed by the Seder, a special meal typically held on the first and second nights. “My family would always go to my uncle Richard’s house for the Seder, set up a giant table in the living room, and gather around to read the Haggadah [which includes the retelling of the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt],” he says. “The meal would end with all the kids running around the house searching for the afikomen (hidden piece of matzo).”
Faber found his place in the kitchen at a young age and was self-taught from hours spent watching the Food Network and poring over cookbooks. “I started cooking more when my mom went to night school to finish college,” he recalls. “I’d print out a recipe, she’d buy the ingredients, and my brother and I would make a meal.” After moving to Knoxville for college, Faber lost touch with some Jewish traditions. A string of restaurant jobs meant he had to work weekend nights and often couldn’t join in celebrations.
Eventually, he landed a position as a pastry chef at Blackberry Farm, where he honed his skills, explored new ingredients, and met influential Jewish guest chefs like Alon Shaya, Zachary Engel, and Michael Solomonov. “I became super interested in cooking Jewish food, because it was my heritage, and started teaching myself more about other areas of the cuisine,” he says.
In 2022, he and Williams opened Potchke (he says the Yiddish name loosely translates “to mess around” or “to make a fuss” in the kitchen), and they look forward to Passover each year. They even celebrated Williams’ first Seder with customers who have become friends. “It’s been rewarding to see people use our restaurant as a Jewish community space,” says Williams.
Here, Faber shares an approachable Seder menu that combines old and new ingredients and techniques, with brisket as the star of the show. “Every Jewish family has a secret recipe for that,” he says. “Each Passover, there’s going to be a brisket, but it’s always a little bit different.”
RECIPES: LAURENCE FABER AND EMILY WILLIAMS; FOOD PHOTOGRAPHS: VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY
text by CAMERON BEALL photograph by ROBBIE CAPONETTO
Sweet-and-Sour Braised Beef Brisket
ACTIVE 45 MIN. - TOTAL 7 HOURS, 45 MIN., PLUS 8 HOURS CHILLING
SERVES 8
1 (6- to 7-lb.) flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large celery stalks, cut into
1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, cut in half
2 cups beef stock
1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup kosher grape juice (such as Kedem)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp. golden raisins
2 fresh bay leaves
2 Tbsp., plus 1/2 cup raisins, divided
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat brisket dry with paper towels; rub evenly with oil. Generously coat brisket with paprika, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the salt; place in a large roasting pan. Roast until browned on both sides, about 30 minutes, turning once halfway through cook time.
2. Remove from oven; add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to pan. Top with stock, tomatoes, grape juice, vinegar, golden raisins, bay leaves, remaining 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons of the raisins. Reduce oven to 325°F, and cover roasting pan tightly with foil. Bake, covered, 3 hours. Remove foil, and bake, uncovered, until brisket is very tender, about 1 hour. (The meat should give very little resistance when poked with a fork.) Remove from oven, uncover, and let cool slightly, about 1 hour. Chill, loosely covered, until cooled completely, at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 250°F. Remove and discard layer of fat on the surface and any vegetables clinging to fat. Process vegetables and liquid from pan in a blender until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Place mixture in a saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup raisins. Taste sauce, and add salt and/or vinegar, as desired.
4. Place brisket on a cutting board, and slice down the middle lengthwise. Cut each half into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Pour a layer of the sauce (about 3 cups) into a roasting pan. Top with brisket slices, and ladle remaining sauce over brisket. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Reheat in preheated oven until warmed through, about 1 hour. Uncover, and cook until top caramelizes slightly, about 30 minutes. Serve with sauce.
Leafy Green Salad with Sunflower Seed Dressing
ACTIVE 20 MIN. - TOTAL 20 MIN.
SUNFLOWER SEED DRESSING
1 cup loosely packed mixed tender herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, and dill)
2/3 cup unrefined sunflower oil* or extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup salted roasted sunflower seeds*
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. whole-grain mustard*
SALAD
10 cups mixed salad greens
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 cups loosely packed mixed tender herbs (such as tarragon, flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, and dill), chopped
6 radishes, sliced into wedges (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup thinly sliced spring onions or baby Vidalia onions
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1. Prepare the Sunflower Seed Dressing: Process herbs, oil, sunflower seeds, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and mustard in a blender until smooth, about 45 seconds.
2. Prepare the Salad: Toss greens with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and about 1/3 cup Sunflower Seed Dressing in a large bowl until coated. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together herbs, radishes, onions, lemon juice, and remaining 1/ 2 teaspoon salt. Add one-third of dressed greens to a large bowl, and top with one-third of herb mixture; repeat layers 2 times. Serve immediately.
* Sunflower seeds and mustard aren’t kosher for Passover for those who strictly observe (per the Orthodox Union).
Charoset
ACTIVE 10 MIN. - TOTAL 40 MIN.
3 medium Honeycrisp apples
3 medium Granny Smith apples
2 cups kosher grape juice (such as Kedem)
1 3/4 cups toasted pecans, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1. Grate apples on large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a large shredding disk. Transfer grated apples to a large bowl, and immediately stir in lemon juice, tossing to coat.
2. Stir in grape juice, pecans, honey, cinnamon, and salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Serve, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days.
Potato Kugel with Schmaltzy Onions
ACTIVE 45 MIN. - TOTAL 2 HOURS
4 Tbsp. schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) or olive oil, divided
3 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (about 9 cups)
3 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp., plus 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, divided
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
3 medium russet potatoes
3 Tbsp. unsalted matzo meal or potato flour
4 large eggs
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the schmaltz in a large skillet over medium. Add onions, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and are starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove and reserve bay leaves; set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. While onions cook, peel potatoes. Using large holes of a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating disk, grate potatoes; immediately transfer potatoes to a large bowl of cold water to keep them from turning brown. Transfer potatoes to a colander, and let drain 5 minutes. Transfer drained potatoes to a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels, and press dry with additional paper towels.
3. Stir together potatoes, caramelized onions, matzo meal, eggs, pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons schmaltz, and remaining 1 tablespoon salt until well combined. Coat an 11- x 7-inch or 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer potato mixture to prepared dish, pressing gently into an even layer. Arrange reserved bay leaves on top.
4. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and transfer to preheated oven; reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned on top and potatoes are tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
