Anti-Panic
Passover Guide
Section Five
PASSOVER SEDER RECIPES
KASHERING, OR SALTING THE MEAT
--Coarse Salt or Kashering Salt
--Large bowl
--Perforated pan or grill
Remove all arteries, liver, heart, and innards from the meat. In a large bowl, cover the meat with cold water. Soak for at least half an hour. This helps to tenderize the meat. After soaking, dry off the meat and coat with the salt. Be sure that all the crevices are covered with salt. Set on grill, perforated pan, or inclined board in such a way that each piece of meat is not touching any other piece. Let drain for one hour. Thoroughly rinse, removing all salt and blood.
Meat prepared in this way is healthier to eat and will keep much longer in the refrigerator, even if it is not cooked soon after.
NOTE: Broiled meat does not need additional kashering as the blood drains during the cooking.
PASSOVER BAKED CHICKEN
--5 pound roasting chicken
--Kosher salt
--1/4 cup melted chicken fat or vegetable oil
--Pepper to taste
--1/2 Tablespoon dried tarragon
--A few sprigs of fresh tarragon
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wipe or rinse the chicken inside and out. Cut off any extra fat and set aside. Rub chicken with kosher salt inside and out. Brush the outside of the chicken with vegetable oil or melted chicken fat. Sprinkle pepper and tarragon over the bird. Place a few sprigs of fresh tarragon, if available, inside the cavity. Put the chicken on the rack of an uncovered roasting pan, breast side out. Soak a piece of cheese cloth in melted chicken fat or vegetable oil. Cover the breast of chicken with cheesecloth. Place in the preheated oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Baste with pan juices about every 15 minutes. Make sure to soak the cloth or go under the cloth when basting. Bake for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the cheesecloth after 1 1/4 hours.
MATZAH BALLS
--2 eggs, well beaten
--1/4 cup water or chicken soup
--1/2 cup Matzah meal
--1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
--1/4 teaspoon pepper
--2 tablespoons vegetable oil or chicken fat
*This is available as a soup mix in your kosher food section at the grocery store. It comes premeasured and is easy to use. (You will need about 2 quarts of liquid.)
Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix together well and refrigerate in the mixing bowl for 20 minutes to set. Bring at least one quart salted water or prepared chicken soup to a boil. Form walnut-sized balls and drop them in the boiling liquid. Boil gently for 30 minutes. Matzah balls will double in size after cooking. Makes 20 balls.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZAH
--5 pounds of chicken with giblets
--1 large onion
--3 cloves of garlic
--1 large parsnip, peeled
--1/4 stalk celery
--Parsley
--1 teaspoon salt
--1/4 teaspoon pepper
--Matzah balls
NOTE: Matzah ball mix is available from your grocer or specialty food store. It is premeasured and easy to use.
Clean chicken pieces and place in a 6-quart pot. Add the next seven ingrediants. Add water to the pot and bring to a boil. Skim the top of the soup and cover. Turn to simmer and cook 2-3 hours. Cool. Discard the parsley, onion, and celery. Remove the chicken and save for another recipe. Refrigerate broth overnight. To serve, remove congealed fat and add Matzah balls. Heat for 15 minutes. Serves 12-14.
MATZAH STUFFING
--4 pieces of Matzah
--1 medium onion, chopped
--2 Tablespoons fat
--1 1/2 teaspoon salt
--Dash of pepper
--1/4 teaspoon sugar
--2 beaten eggs
--1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
NOTE: Matzah meal is available at most grocery stores or they can order it for you.
Crumble Matzah. Sprinkle with water. Brown onions in hot fat. Add salt, pepper, sugar and eggs to Matzah. Turn into pan with onions. Stir lightly over low heat until mixture is slightly dry. Cool. Add parsley.
TUNA OR GEFILTE FISH QUICHE
--3/4 cup Matzah meal
--1/4 cup margarine, melted
--1/8 teaspoon allspice
--1 jar (1 1/2 lbs) gefilte fish or tuna fish
--3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make crust, mix Matzah meal, margarine, and allspice together. Press into 8-inch pie pan. Remove fish and discard jellied broth from jar. Puree fish in food processor or with potato masher. Beat eggs and fold into fish. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until filling is firm and lightly browned. Excellent served with horseradish on the side. Serves 6.
CHAROSET
Small Seder *See short cut.
--1 apple pared
--1/2 cup chopped nuts
--1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
--1 teaspoon honey or sugar
--1-2 Tablespoons grape juice
Chop or coarsely grate the apple. If you have a food processor, this is the time to use it. Mash apple thoroughly with remaining ingredients. Beat until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Seasoning may be corrected to taste. *See short cut in next recipe.
CHAROSET
Large Seder
--20 apples
--1/2 cup grape juice
--1 cup or more of sugar
--1 large bag of walnuts, chopped fine
--4/5 Tablespoons cinnamon
Core and chop apples fine. The peeling may be left on the apples if preferred. Again, the food processor is great for this step! Add all other ingredients and mix well. Add more cinnamon, sugar and grape juice to taste as needed. Serves 50 people. If you plan on having extra guests for dessert, then figure 4 oz. per person beyond the ceremonial serving. We usually enjoy the Charoset apple sauce as our dessert, and keep extra in the refrigerator for our Passover seasonal eating.
*Shortcut: Instead of slicing all the apples, we have found that Mussleman's Apple Sauce is kosher, and can be substituted for hours of cutting apples. We also use almonds AND walnuts with wine! Have fun mixing it up to your own special taste buds!
PASSOVER LEMON PIE (PARVEL)
1 sponge cake layer fitted into 9" pie pan
FILLING
--1 cup sugar
--2 rounded Tablespoons potato starch
--1/2 teaspoon salt
--2 egg yolks
--Juice and rind of 1 1/2 lemons
--1/2 cups boiling water
MERINGUE
--3 egg whites
--3 1/2 teaspoons sugar
NOTE: Potato Starch is available from your specialty food section at the grocers or they will order it for you.
Mix sugar, potato starch and salt together thoroughly. Add yolks one at a time and stir mixture well. Add juice, rind and boiling water. Place in a double boiler over moderate heat and stir constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. Pour over cake.
For meringue, beat egg whites and 3 1/2 teaspoons sugar until stiff. Add remainder of sugar gradually and continue beating. Pile on filling and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
SHANKBONE
NOTE: This item is optional, but it does add to the Seder plate.
Go to a kosher butcher, or a farmer that roasts lambs, or even your grocery store and ask for a lamb bone that is unbroken. If you want it to be considered kosher, you should get it from a kosher butcher. The shankbone is the forearm of a leg of lamb. This must be unbroken.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly wash the bone and scrape some of the meat off, but be careful not to break the bone. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, then scrape the meat and wash again. Bake for 10-11 minutes and then scrape it again. Repeat this process until the bone is thoroughly clean and free from all tissue and meat.