Helzel
In the Eastern European shtetl nothing from the chicken was wasted, and the neck skin was sewn closed around a stuffing of flour, schmaltz and onion, then roasted next to the Friday-night bird or tucked into the cholent; older Ashkenazi cooks in Bnei Brak and Kiryat Ata still make it the original way when the butcher saves them necks. As whole neck skins are hard to buy, this home version rolls the same stuffing in sausage casing or baking paper, so it roasts in the chicken juices into a soft, savoury slice with a crisp outside. Serve it sliced alongside roast chicken and potatoes. People often pack the stuffing tightly, but the flour swells as it cooks and will burst the casing; fill it loosely. Chef's tip: brown the onion properly first, because it is almost the only flavouring and pale onion makes a bland helzel.



