Cholent (M) perfect for Passover

Cholent (M)
For Passover
Serves: 6 (with leftovers)

• 1 lb. white beans
• 3/4 cup oil, divided
• 2 cups rice 4 onions, chopped
• 1/2 lb. mutton with a little fat, chopped thin
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 loaf bread or challah
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup fresh parsley or coriander, chopped, divided
• flour 1 onion, sliced
• 1-1/2 - 2 lbs. beef (1 piece or cut into 6 big pieces)
• 6 eggs
• 6 pieces beef marrow bones
• 6 kishkes (stuffed intestines), bought or homemade according to recipe below
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled
• 1 whole unpeeled onion

To make the kishkes: thin intestines, scrubbed clean

• 1/2 cup schmaltz
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 1 potato, peeled and boiled
• 1/2 cup flour

Begin on the night before - soak the beans in lots of water and leave for the night. Next morning drain and wash the beans.

Heat 1/3 cup oil in a large skillet and fry the onions until golden. Add mutton and fry a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and divide between two bowls. Add 1/2 cup of parsley or coriander to each bowl.

Make the bread patties: Soak bread in water and squeeze dry. Add to one mutton bowl with 2 eggs and, season with salt and pepper and mix well. If the mixture is too moist, add a little flour. Chill for an hour, form 6 patties and fry in a little oil until golden-brown.

Make the rice bag: Prepare a sheet of cotton cloth about 16"x16".

Wash the rice, and add to the second bowl of mutton mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Mound the rice mixture in the middle of the cloth, gather the edges and tie securely with twine. Loop the twine several time around the "neck" of the bag. Important: Leave about 2 fingers free above the rice mound to let the rice expand.

Make the kishkes: Wash the intestines and tie off one end. Roll them open like a turned-in sock. Melt schmaltz and fry the onion until brown. Remove from heat, add potato and mash. Add flour to form a fairly hard mixture, and season to taste.

Stuff the intestines, packing tight the stuffing and rolling the edges back up. Tie off the other end and in 5 more places to make 6 "sausages". Prick with a needle in several places.

Assembly: Heat 1/3 cup oil in a big heavy pot and fry the onion until transparent. Add the beans, some salt and pepper to taste and mix.

Place the meat and bones over the beans, and put the rice bag and kishkes over the meat.

Arrange the bread patties, eggs and potatoes. Add an unpeeled onion with brown skin, it adds color to the cholent. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

Up to this point everything can be prepared ahead.