Sabbath stew

Sabbath stew was developed over the centuries to conform with Jewish laws that prohibit cooking on the Sabbath. The pot is brought to a boil on Friday before the Sabbath begins, and sometimes kept on a blech or hotplate, or left in a slow oven or electric slow cooker, until the following day.

Two of the best known sabbath stews are hamin, a Sephardic dish that emerged in Spain, and cholent, an Ashkenazi dish derived from hamin that emerged later in France. Both dishes are based on a mixture of whole grains, meat, beans and potatoes.

Both stews are ultimately derived from harisa, a more simplistic, traditional Middle Eastern porridge consisting of just cracked durum wheat berries and meat. Over the centuries various Jewish diaspora communities created their own variations of the dish based on local food resources and neighborhood influence.

There are many variations on sabbath stews, which are today staples of both the Sephardi and Ashkenazi kitchens and other communities. The slow overnight cooking allows the flavors of the various ingredients to permeate and produces the characteristic taste of each local stew.