Modern feast fit for Passover – recipes

Published Mar 30, 2015

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The Jewish Passover festival Passover begins on Friday, April 3 in 2015. Angela Day has some recipe suggestions....

On the menu

Lemongrass matzo ball soup

Brisket with pomegranate

Herbed lemon quinoa

Spiced roasted tzimmes. Picture: Chris Collingridge, Independent Media

Passover apple cake

Toffee chocolate matzos

LEMONGRASS MATZO BALL SOUP

Serves 6-8

MATZO BALLS

4 eggs

60ml sunflower oil

125ml water

375ml matzo meal

5ml salt

black pepper, to taste

5ml grated ginger

5ml grated garlic

60ml chopped fresh coriander

LEMONGRASS SOUP

2.5 litres of chicken stock

1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped

30ml chopped ginger

10ml chopped garlic

1 bunch of spring onions, finely sliced

30ml soya sauce*

200g bok choy, sliced

Matzo Balls: Whisk the eggs, oil and water together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

LEMONGRASS SOUP: Combine all the ingredients for the soup, except the bok choy, and bring to the boil.

With wet hands, form small balls of the dough and drop into the boiling soup. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 20-30 minutes.

Add the bok choy and simmer for 2 minutes, until wilted. Serve.

Note: Mikees is a brand of soy sauce suitable for Passover.

BRISKET WITH POMEGRANATE

Serves 4-6

2kg brisket, off the bone

5ml sea salt

5ml pepper

15ml dried oregano

45ml olive oil

2 red onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

250ml red grape juice

250ml red wine

500ml chicken stock

45ml honey

2 bay leaves

1 small bunch of thyme

POMEGRANATE GREMOLATA

80ml pomegranate rubies

125ml chopped fresh parsley

zest of 2 lemons

2 garlic cloves, minced

a pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 160°C. Season the brisket with salt, pepper and oregano.

Heat 15ml olive oil in a large ovenproof pot and sear the brisket until browned on all sides.

Remove and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil and sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes over low heat until softened.

Return the brisket to the pot and add grape juice, wine, stock, honey, bay leaves and thyme.

Cover with the lid, bring to a boil and then transfer to the oven. Roast for three to four hours, or until tender, turning the brisket occasionally.

When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.

Strain the cooking liquid and allow to thicken on the stove.

Pour over the sliced meat and serve with gremolata.

GREMOLATA: Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together well.

HERBED LEMON QUINOA

Serves 6

750ml water

375ml quinoa

5ml salt

2ml pepper

125ml olive oil

6 shallots, halved and sliced

zest and juice of 2 lemons

125ml chopped fresh parsley

60ml fresh thyme leaves

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.

Stir in the quinoa, salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lemon zest and juice and cook for a minute.

Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and stir in the shallot-lemon mixture, parsley and thyme.

Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

SPICED ROASTED TZIMMES

Serves 6

4 large parsnips

4 carrots

1-2 orange sweet potatoes

125ml olive oil

15ml sea salt

pepper to taste

5ml ground ginger

10ml ground cinnnamon

15ml ground cumin

250ml raisins or cranberries

125ml apricots

250ml dates, pitted and halved

45ml honey

250ml chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 180°C. Peel and cut the vegetables into equal-size chunks.

Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and spices.

Place onto a baking tray. Do not let the vegetables pile on each other.

If necessary, use a second baking tray.

Roast for 20-30 minutes, until fork-tender.

Add the raisins, apricots, dates and honey, toss well and roast for a further 15 minutes.

Remove, and stir through the parsleyjust before serving.

PASSOVER APPLE CAKE

125ml chopped pecans or walnuts

180ml sugar

5ml ground cinnamon

5ml ground ginger

a pinch of nutmeg

a pinch of cloves

3 eggs

180ml sugar

80ml vegetable oil

250ml matzo cake meal

4 green apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

80ml dried cranberries or raisins

60ml smooth apricot jam, melted

Grease a 20cm-square ovenproof baking dish.

Combine the nuts, sugar and spices and mix well.

Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale. With the machine running, mix in the oil.

Fold in the matzo meal.

Spread half the batter into the prepared dish.

Cover with slices of apple and sprinkle over half the sugar and spice mixture.

Scatter over half the cranberries.

Top with the remaining batter and apples.

Sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and scatter over remaining cranberries.

Bake at 180°C for about 50-60 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush over the apricot jam.

TOFFEE CHOCOLATE MATZOS

Serves 6

30g Parev margarine, melted

6 pieces of matzo

250g Parev margarine

250ml sugar

500ml Parev chocolate chips

125ml chopped dried cranberries

125ml chopped dried apricots

100g pistachios, toasted

125ml slivered almonds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Line a baking tray with tinfoil and brush with the margarine.

Arrange a layer of matzo in the pan, overlapping and making sure there are no gaps.

In a saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar.

Bring to a boil and cook, whisking the toffee constantly, for 5 minutes.

Pour the toffee evenly over the matzo and spread it in a thin layer.

Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until bubbling.

Remove the toffee matzo from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.

Let the chocolate melt for 5 minutes and then, with a spatula, spread it evenly in a thin layer.

Sprinkle with the dried fruits and toasted nuts. Refrigerate to cool completely. Break into pieces and serve.

Angela Day, The Star

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