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MOROCCAN TOAST

Alex: Eggplant is a staple vegetable in Moroccan households. My family consumes it cold at Shabbat, pureed into baba ghanoush, or pan-fried with spices and tossed into a cold salad. Aptly, we gave our most popular eggplant dish at Arthurs the simple moniker “Moroccan Toast.” When I first made it, it was just a thin piece of bread with eggplant, eggs, and sprouts. Everyone said it was “fine”—not to be dramatic, but I’d rather that they’d spit it out, smacked me in the face, and walked out than have used that word. I started over from scratch.

After much trial and error, we came out with the improved version: a thick slab of toasted challah schmeared with harissa mayo; blackened, creamy eggplant; lightly poached eggs (the most annoying task in a brunch restaurant); and an abundant scattering of vibrant herbs, seeds, sauces, and crunchy bits. (This recipe is obviously on the longer side, so be sure to read through the whole thing before beginning!) Bringing the Moroccan eggplant alone to a gathering is the equivalent of bringing a bottle of tequila; it just makes everything more fun.

MAKES 4 TOASTS

Ingredients:

Moroccan-Style Eggplant:

• 2 large eggplants sliced in ¾-inch rounds (see note)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ small Spanish onion, finely diced
• ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• Packed 1½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons Moroccan or sweet paprika
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Juice of ½ lemon

Crispy Chickpeas:

• 1 (14 oz/398 g) can chickpeas
• ¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil
• 1½ teaspoons za’atar

Assembly:

• 8 eggs
• Butter, for toasting
• 4 thick slices challah
• 1 cup Harissa Mayo (recipe below or use store-bought), for spreading
• 2 cups Moroccan-Style Eggplant
• 1 cup Arthurs Cucumber Salad (Recipe below)
• ½ cup Savory Tahini Sauce (Recipe below)

Toppings:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• Paprika Oil
• Crispy Chickpeas
• Pomegranate seeds
• Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Za’atar
• Sumac
• Aleppo pepper
• Black pepper

Method:

MAKE THE MOROCCAN-STYLE EGGPLANT

1. Place the sliced eggplants on two parchment-lined sheet trays. Lightly sprinkle both sides with salt. Let sit for 10 to 20 minutes, until some of the moisture is drawn out. Thoroughly pat dry with a paper towel. Do not be tempted to skip this step, or the eggplant will turn out bitter and wet.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat. Turn on your hood fan to capture the smoke (alternatively, let your fire alarm go off so the good-looking firemen come over).
3. Working in batches, fry the eggplant until the exterior is just shy of burnt, about 5 to 7 minutes on the first side and 3 to 5 minutes on the second. Don’t move them around too much. They will look very dark, but the interior should be white and creamy and feel soft when poked. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside. Add more oil between batches as needed.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the olive oil to the skillet. Sauté the onion and pepper until lightly browned and soft, about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Next, stir in the brown sugar, paprika, cumin, and turmeric and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
5. Return the cooked eggplants to the pan. Mash the mixture until it reaches a spreadable consistency and is beginning to stick to the bottom. The final color should be lightly golden. If it’s dark, you’ve likely burnt and overcooked your eggplant, and you’ve fucked up.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust salt and spices to taste (depending on the season, your eggplants may require more brown sugar).

MAKE THE CRISPY CHICKPEAS

1. Strain the chickpeas and pat them dry.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas and fry until golden brown and slightly shrunken in size, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to absorb oil. Place in a bowl and toss with the za’atar and a generous pinch of salt. (You can also do this in an air fryer.)
3. Let cool. Store in an uncovered container until ready to use. These will keep for a few days but are best eaten the same day.

ASSEMBLE

1. Cook the eggs to your liking (we prefer poached, which can be done up to 24 hours in advance).
2. Lay out all your prepared components, like a real chef would.
3. Butter the challah and toast in a pan. For each serving, place one slice in the center of a large plate. Spread a couple tablespoons of Harissa Mayo all over the surface of the bread. Place about ½ cup Moroccan-Style Eggplant on top of each slice. Use a spoon to shape a mini crater in the center and add the eggs. Season them with salt and black pepper. Delicately spoon at least ¼ cup of the Arthurs Cucumber Salad over the eggs in a little mound. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons Savory Tahini Sauce all over the Arthurs Cucumber Salad.
4. For topping, squeeze a bit of lemon over top and splatter around some Paprika Oil. Finally, scatter over the remaining topping ingredients to suit your taste. The finished plate should be kind of a hot mess—teetering, over-accessorized, and delicious.
5. Note: Select a glazed donut–face eggplant: its skin should be shiny, smooth, and firm.

HARISSA MAYO

MAKES 1 CUP

Ingredients:

• 1 head garlic
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for roasting
• 1½ to 31/3 tablespoons harissa (See note below)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the little root nub off the garlic. Rub the head all over with a bit of olive oil and salt, then wrap in aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes, until tender and golden. Let cool, then squeeze the head of garlic from the top so that all the cloves pop out from the root end.
3. Transfer half the cloves to a bowl and mash them to a paste with a fork. (Reserve the remaining cloves for future cooking, like the Fried Egg Aioli below.)
4. In a small bowl, mix together the roasted garlic with the harissa. Whisk the mixture into the mayo, then taste and add more harissa if you want it spicier. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

ARTHURS CUCUMBER SALAD

MAKES 2½ CUPS

Ingredients:

• 5 Persian or Lebanese cucumbers, finely diced (See note below)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, finely diced (See note below)
• ½ Vidalia onion, finely diced
• 1½ teaspoons minced fresh dill or parsley, mint, or whatever is fresh in your region
• 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinaigrette (Recipe below)
• 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
• Juice of ¼ lemon

Method:

1. Place the diced cucumbers and tomatoes in a colander set over a bowl, and season with salt to drain excess water. Transfer to a large bowl and add the onion and dill.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette and olive oil. Pour it over the veg mixture and add the garlic. Toss until evenly distributed. Season with salt and lots of black pepper to taste, and adjust dill and vinaigrette levels as desired. Right before serving, stir in the lemon juice.

Notes:

• We like Lebanese cucumbers because they have less water and more flavor than English cucumbers. If using English ones, we recommend you scoop out the middle part with all the seeds to remove excess water.
• If tomatoes are in season, feel free to use whichever kind are best at the market. Just be wary of water content.

RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:

• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon water (to make the vinegar less sharp)

Method:

1. Pour all ingredients in a bottle and shake it up. Store at room temperature until the day you die.

SAVORY TAHINI SAUCE

Alex: This sauce is one of the most versatile recipes in the book. To name just a few ideas, you can drizzle it over fish, meat, and veg; add it to a salad; and stir it into thick yogurt to form a tangy dip. Tahini texture and taste can vary significantly from brand to brand, so shop around to find the best one your wallet allows. Don’t forget to mix up the tahini very, very well before using, stirring from bottom to top. It’ll take more effort than you’d like, sort of like churning cement, but you’ve gotta do it well to get all the flavor. You could get intense and make your own tahini, but we’ll leave that decision to you.

MAKES 1 CUP

Ingredients:

• 1/3 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/3 teaspoon caraway seeds
• ¾ cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice + more as needed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon roasted garlic (optional)
• ½ cup (120 ml) ice water
• ½ cup (125 g) high-quality tahini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

1. In a small skillet, dry-toast the spices until fragrant. Let cool, then coarsely grind with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add in the lemon juice and all the garlic. Use an immersion blender to blend thoroughly. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse—all you want is the essence (sorry, douchebag word) of the garlic and spices, plus the garlic will start to ferment if you leave it in for too long. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the ice water. Place the tahini in a bowl. Drizzle in one-third of the ice water and whisk. The tahini should stiffen up significantly. Pour in the strained lemon juice and keep whisking until smooth. Gradually add more ice water until you reach your desired consistency; ideally, the sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
4. Stir in the salt and olive oil for some extra smoothness. Taste and adjust lemon and salt to your liking. Cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours before using. It will keep for a maximum of 3 to 5 days. Give it the ol’ whiff if you’re not sure.

SALADE CUITE

Alex: Every Moroccan household has their own version of salade cuite, and everyone’s mother makes it best. Whenever I made it, my mother always let me know that I had screwed it up. She thus took it into her own hands to make it for Arthurs out of her home, eventually passing that tradition on to our housekeeper, who is now the expert. It was served at every Shabbat, alongside fresh bread, hummus, baba ghanoush, and salads. Maybe it’s because we’ve been overfed by it, but for reasons unknown, every Ashkenazi I’ve met loves it even more than us Moroccans. It takes a few attempts to figure out how much oil to use, but the more you make it, the more instinctual it becomes.

MAKES 4 CUPS

Ingredients:

Paprika Oil:

• Scant ½ cup (110 ml) neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika

Salade Cuite:

• 3 red bell peppers
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 (28 oz/796 g) cans crushed or whole peeled tomatoes
• Paprika Oil, for cooking
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or more, depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes and peppers)
• 1/3 teaspoon chili flakes

Method:

MAKE THE PAPRIKA OIL

1. In a bowl, whisk the oil with the paprika until combined. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months (or more, just keep checking it).

MAKE THE SALADE CUITE

1. Preheat the oven to broil.
2. Broil the peppers whole until they are tender and their skin is charred. Transfer to a container, and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let the peppers steam until they are soft but still have bite. Peel and deseed them then thinly slice lengthwise. Discard any liquid that the peppers release.
3. Remove the tomatoes from the cans, leaving the juices behind, and place them in a saucepan. If using whole tomatoes, crush them by hand until they’re in bite-sized pieces. Add the juice of one can and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer. As the tomatoes simmer, use a wooden spoon to further crush them, still keeping them chunky. Use a wooden spoon through the sauce and leave a trail that lasts a few seconds. Lower the heat.
4. Meanwhile, in a separate stainless-steel pan set over low heat, warm about 3 tablespoons of Paprika Oil. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened, being careful to not color it at all. Raise the heat to medium, and stir in the sliced peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.
5. Transfer the contents of the pan to the pot with the cooked tomatoes. Add another tablespoon of Paprika Oil, the sugar, and the chili flakes. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, until reduced by about half and well thickened. As it reduces, add Paprika Oil in ½-teaspoon increments as needed so it always looks glossy.
6. Adjust sugar and chili flakes as desired. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before using.

MATZO BALL SOUP

Regan: Oh, matzo ball soup. Every Ashkenazi home has their own version, passed down from bubby to bubby, simmered on high holidays and chilly winter days.

There are two critical criteria by which this soup is judged. The first is the matzo ball, which we could call the closest thing Ashkenazis have to an American dumpling. It has to be tender and light enough to melt in your mouth, but still retain a firmness throughout, which has more to do with how you shape it than the recipe itself. The second is the chicken stock, which must be golden yellow and crystal clear, “clean” to the palate and the eye. So while roasting the bones or simmering the liquid for longer would actually give you a more intense flavor, that’s not quite the point of this dish. Matzo ball soup is intentionally a bit muted, like something you eat when you’re sick.

All this is deceptively difficult to accomplish, and we’ve done our best to explain how we go about it. But no matter how hard we try, whenever Alex sees a group of old Jewish women walk into Arthurs and order this soup, he runs away. He knows that, without fail, they’re going to be drawing comparisons to their own recipe.

Unless you’re trying to wow the bubby next door, don’t stress about keeping the ball perfectly soft or the stock perfectly clear. It doesn’t affect the taste whatsoever. All technique aside, the importance is that your soup brings you a feeling of heimish, of being at home.

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

Chicken Soup Stock

• 4½ lb (2 kg) chicken carcasses, breast bones only (See note below)
• 1 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast (or bone-in and/or skin-on if that’s what you find)
• 6 oz (170 g) chicken feet or wings
• 1 Spanish onion, roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• ¼ green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• ¼ small green cabbage, roughly chopped
• ½ Granny Smith apple, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2½ teaspoons white peppercorns
• ½ bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
• A few sprigs fresh parsley
• A few sprigs fresh dill
• A few sprigs fresh thyme

Matzo Balls

• 1 cup (145 g) Streit’s matzo meal (See note below.)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ sweet onion, finely diced
• 4 eggs, yolks + whites separated, at room temperature
• Generous ¼ cup (65 ml) club soda, or champagne if you’re filthy rich
• 3½ tablespoons melted Schmaltz (see recipe below)
• Neutral oil, for forming balls

Assembly

• 2 small carrots, halved
• 1 stalk celery, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ sweet onion, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1½ to 3 cups (165 to 330 g) fine egg noodles
• 5 cups (1.2 L) Chicken Soup Stock
• 1 cup (195 g) shredded Poached Chicken (recipe below)
• 4 Matzo Balls or more, depending on size
• Fresh dill, for serving
• Chopped chives, for serving
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons Schmaltz (see recipe below) + more for Drizzling

Method:

MAKE THE CHICKEN SOUP STOCK

1. Rinse all the chicken to remove any blood and impurities. Place in a large pot, then cover with all remaining ingredients, minus the fresh herbs. Add enough water to cover everything by 1 inch.
2. Bring to a soft boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. After about 30 minutes, impurities will rise to the top. Skim them off and dis- card, then cover and simmer on low for 2 hours and 15 minutes. (See note below.)
3. Do not stir, or the stock will become cloudy. After this simmering time, uncover the pot and gently submerge the herbs, leafy part first, agitating the stock as little as possible. Continue simmering, uncovered, for another 45 minutes without stirring.
4. Ladle the soup through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth (See note 3.)
5. For maximum clarity, ladle from only one side of the pot, then slowly pour in the rest. If desired, set aside the strained bits in the same pot and use it to cook the Matzo Balls later (the chef word for this is “remouillage”).

MAKE THE MATZO BALLS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the matzo meal, salt, baking powder, onion, and a bit of black pepper.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, club soda, and Schmaltz.
3. In a third bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, being careful not to overwhip.
4. Make a well in the dry mixture, then pour in the liquid mixture. Working quickly, use your hands to mix the batter until no dry patches or lumps remain.(See note 5 below.)
5. Still using your hands, vigorously fold in a third of the egg whites. Use a spatula to fold in another third, then the remainder.
6. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap so that it touches the surface of the batter. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or preferably overnight.
7. Pour a bit of neutral oil into a bowl and rub a bit on your hands. Grab a piece of batter about 1 inch in diameter. Hold your hands together like you’re cupping water, cradling the batter around, letting gravity shape it into a ball. Do not apply pressure, or the balls will turn out dense! Repeat with the remaining batter to make 6 to 8 balls in total. Store any balls you’re not using immediately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

COOK THE MATZO BALLS

1. If you reserved the strained bits from the Chicken Soup Stock, fill that same pot with enough water to cover the Matzo Balls once they are added. (See note)
2. Bring it to a soft boil, then heavily salt. (See note)
3. Be sure to choose a pot with enough space for the balls to nearly quadruple in size—no one enjoys smashed balls.
4. With a spoon, individually lower each ball into the boiling water. Once all the balls are in, lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Don’t touch them, don’t look at them, don’t talk to them, and don’t even think about them during this time. It’s just the way it’s done and you’re better off not asking questions. By the end, the balls should be almost quadrupled in size and fluffy.

ASSEMBLE

1. Meanwhile, bring 3 small pots of salted water to a boil. Boil the carrots in 1 pot until they are soft enough to be cut easily with a spoon. Boil the celery in the second pot until tender. Boil the onion in the third pot until translucent (ideally, you’ll do this in 3 separate pots, but 1 pot is okay if you want fewer dishes). Alternatively, you can thinly slice the vegetables and simmer them in the Chicken Soup Stock in the next step instead.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until slightly overdone.
3. In a separate medium pot, heat the Chicken Soup Stock.
4. Using a spider, transfer the cooked noodles and vegetables to the pot with the Matzo Balls, then add the Poached Chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Distribute the Matzo Balls among four soup bowls, then ladle in everything else. Finish with a large pinch of dill, chives, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil and melted Schmaltz.

Notes:

• If you can’t find just the breast bones, buy the whole chicken. Thigh bones cloud the soup, but that doesn’t matter if you care more about flavor than clarity.
• Note that we are making a “soup stock,” not a classic stock, and the liquid therefore shouldn’t be too reduced or concentrated.
• The ladle method is used to avoid stirring up and clouding the soup.
• We’ve tried this recipe with other brands of matzo meal and it hasn’t worked, so we can’t promise anything unless you use Streit’s.
• If you try to use a spatula, or wait too long before mixing, it’ll be like mixing cement. As Freya and Abel Cohen’s wise father once said, “If you used matzo ball mix to pave the streets of Montreal, we’d have no potholes.”
• Alternatively, you can use regular water and add a bit of chicken broth powder, the neon yellow kind.
• Don’t worry about oversalting the water. The balls are supposed to be on the salty side. If they turn out too salty, you can place them in warm, unsalted water, and the salt will release.

SCHMALTZ

Alex: Enough has been said about schmaltz, dubbed “liquid gold” for a reason. It is wildly unused in restaurants but unquestionably worth the money and effort. With a high smoke point, you can cook nearly anything in it, and it has this inimitable back note of caramelized onion chicken soup essence. We’ve found the best chicken fat from a kosher butcher, so that’s a good place to start if you know one.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

Ingredients:

• 2.2 lb (1 kg) chicken fat, cubed
• Scant ½ cup (100 ml) water
• 2 large Spanish onions, diced

Method:

1. Place the chicken fat and water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Cook at a high simmer until all the chicken fat is rendered; the fat will liquefy, and any remaining bits will begin to fry.
3. Once the fat is amber and the chicken bits are crispy, add the onion. Cook until dark brown and crispy.
4. Strain out the crispy fat and onion (these bits, called gribenes, can be saved and used as crunchy toppings for a variety of dishes). Store the Schmaltz in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Use it in place of butter or oil to cook practically anything!

POACHED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

• 2 medium (1.1 lb/500 g total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 large green onions, twisted in half
• 2- inch piece peeled ginger, thickly sliced
• 3 tablespoons salt

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium pot. Fill with enough water to submerge the chicken by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through.
2. Alternatively, once the water is simmering, you can cover the pot and place in a 350°F oven for a similar amount of time.
3. Let the chicken cool slightly, then shred. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

DELI SPRINKLE COOKIES

These sprinkle cookies still bear some resemblance to the traditional deli version. They’re incredibly easy to put together, and the sprinkle-dunking step makes them the perfect dessert to do with your kids. Their final shape should be slightly domed, almost like a golf ball. If your cookies flatten out, though, don’t stress too much. We went through at least a dozen versions to get them to hold their shape (this is, in fact, not at all the original recipe we used at Arthurs). You shouldn’t run into too much trouble, though, as we’ve added chopped almonds to improve the structure. In the end, we’re pretty pleased with how this new cookie has come out, much less temperamental and a bit more adult in flavor and texture.

MAKES 24 COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 226 g (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 83 g (2/3 cup) powdered sugar
• 245 g (1¾ cups) flour
• 3 g (¾ teaspoon) salt
• 110 g (¾ cup) toasted almonds, finely chopped
• 200 g (1 cup) sprinkles

Method:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined, then add the almonds and mix in.
2. Shape the dough into balls the size of Ping-Pong balls (about 30 g/1 oz each).
3. Pour the sprinkles into a shallow dish. Roll the balls in the sprinkles, and gently reshape if necessary. Transfer to a sheet tray, and freeze until solid, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. If opting for the longer freeze, transfer to an airtight container once hard to save space and protect them from the freezer air.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
5. Arrange the cookies on a room-temperature, parchment-lined sheet tray, leaving 2 inches between them. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through. The bottoms should be golden.
6. Let cool in the pan, then transfer to an airtight container, where they’ll keep at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.

Excerpted from Arthurs: Home of the Nosh by Raegan Steinberg, Alexandre Cohen, and Evelyne Eng. Copyright © 2025 Raegan Steinberg, Alexandre Cohen, and Evelyne Eng. Photographs by Karolina Jez. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.