Orthodox Union
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Passover in Paris
Faye Levy
During our years in France, my husband and I had the opportunity to explore French Jewish cuisine and to attend Parisian Passover Seders. Most of the Jews in France are either of North African or Ashkenazi origin, and the taste of both groups was apparent in our holiday fare. Although tradition dictates much of the Passover menu, the French culinary influence in Parisian holiday meals was also evident.
One time we went to a Seder organized by a Parisian synagogue, where the menu featured time-honored Jewish dishes alongside classic French ones, and was the inspiration for my menu here.
For a first course, we could choose between gefilte fish or a French dish called saumon en gelée, sauce verte--French salmon in aspic with green sauce, a mayonnaise flavored with fresh herbs. Our main course was a Mediterranean-style roast lamb flavored with garlic and onions, a Passover custom dating from biblical times*. The dish had one modern-day accompaniment – roasted potatoes, which, of course, were not known to the biblical Jews, as potatoes are native to Peru. For a vegetable, we could pick a zucchini kugel or leek fritters. The Sefardi-style haroset was a delightful mélange that included dates, as well as three kinds of nuts, apples and wine.
As befitting a French feast, we were served two desserts. Because Alsace has long been the home of a large Jewish community and happens to be one of the best regions of France for desserts, it was not surprising that one of the desserts was Alsatian. It was a delicious and unusually light matzo raisin kugel with a cinnamon glaze. The second dessert was a luscious chocolate hazelnut gateau, made with a small amount of potato starch instead of flour.
Happy Passover!
*Please note that, with the destruction of the Temple, Orthodox Jews do not eat roast lamb at the seder. It can be eaten at other meals on Passover.
Faye Levy is the author of Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home (Morrow), 1,000 Jewish Recipes (Wiley) and Jewish Cooking For Dummies (Wiley).
SALMON WITH TARRAGON SPINACH SAUCE
Fresh, wine-poached salmon presented on a bed of fresh lettuce and served with a pale green, fresh herb sauce makes an elegant, tasty first course, perfect for Passover, the “festival of spring.”
To make it lighter, use light mayonnaise. Alternatively, use half the amount of mayonnaise and stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
Fresh, wine-poached salmon presented on a bed of fresh lettuce and served with a pale green, fresh herb sauce makes an elegant, tasty first course, perfect for Passover, the “festival of spring.”
To make it lighter, use light mayonnaise. Alternatively, use half the amount of mayonnaise and stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
1 3/4 pounds small salmon steaks, about 1 inch thick
1 tablespoon minced shallot (about 1 medium shallot)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
HERB SAUCE:
20 spinach leaves, stems removed, leaves rinsed well
1/3 cup watercress leaves (optional)
1/4 cup small Italian parsley sprigs
2 teaspoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons warm water (optional)
Butter lettuce leaves, baby spinach or mixed baby lettuces (for serving)
Preheat oven to 425F. Remove any scales from fish steaks. Generously grease 10-cup oval gratin dish or other heavy shallow baking dish with soft margarine. Cut oval piece of parchment paper to size of dish and grease paper. Sprinkle base of dish with chopped shallot. Arrange fish pieces in dish in one layer. Pour wine over them and add thyme and bay leaf to liquid. Sprinkle fish lightly with salt and pepper. Set greased paper directly on fish.
Bake fish 12 minutes. Check steaks: insert cake tester or thin skewer into thickest part of fish for about 5 seconds and touch tester to underside of your wrist; it should be hot to touch. If fish is not quite done, bake another 2 minutes and test again.
Remove fish carefully to platter with two wide slotted spatulas. Cool to room temperature.
SAUCE:
Plunge spinach and watercress into a medium saucepan of boiling water. Return to a boil and drain thoroughly. Rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly. Squeeze to remove excess liquid.
Puree spinach, watercress, parsley, chives and tarragon in a food processor until smooth. If necessary, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise to help make a smoother puree. Add remaining mayonnaise and process until smooth. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. If sauce is very thick, beat in warm water 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is just thin enough to be poured. (Sauce can be kept, covered, 1 day in refrigerator.)
Remove skin from fish by scraping with paring knife and pulling it with your fingers. Serve salmon steaks on lettuce leaves, accompanying each serving with a spoonful of sauce. Serve any remaining sauce separately.
Makes 8 servings as a first course.
ROAST LAMB (or Chicken) WITH GARLIC AND POTATOES
To facilitate the preparation of this succulent dish, a favorite of Jews in southern France, ask the butcher to trim the lamb’s skin and fat, and then to bone the lamb, roll it and tie it. If you like, reserve the bones and add them to the roasting pan to add extra flavor to the sauce.
If you prefer a lighter entree, substitute 2 medium chickens for the lamb. To adapt the dish to chicken, see the Note following the recipe.
10 garlic cloves
a 5 1/2-pound lamb shoulder, boned and tied in a rolled roast (about 3 1/2 pounds after boning), bones reserved if possible
salt and pepper
8 medium baking potatoes
2 medium onions, sliced
2/3 cup water
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped; or 2 canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Preheat oven to 375F. Cut 12 very thin lengthwise slivers from garlic; chop remaining garlic. Pierce lamb with point of a sharp knife. With aid of knife, hold a slit open and insert a garlic sliver. Repeat with remaining garlic slivers, spacing them fairly evenly. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Set lamb on a rack.
Peel and quarter potatoes and put in pan around meat. Sprinkle potatoes with remaining chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Add sliced onions and water to pan.
Cover with foil. Bake 1 hour. Uncover and stir potatoes gently. Bake 30 minutes. Add tomato to juices and stir. Roast lamb until it is very tender and an instant-read or meat thermometer registers 150F for medium or 160F for well done, about 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes; during roasting, baste lamb and potatoes occasionally and add a few tablespoons water to pan if it becomes dry.
Let meat rest on a board 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, skim excess fat from juices, if convenient. Spoon juices over potatoes and keep them warm in low oven. If bones are meaty, cut meat from bones. Remove strings from meat. Carve lamb into about 1/2-inch slices, using a very sharp large knife. With a small knife, remove excess fat from slices.
Sprinkle potatoes and lamb with parsley and serve hot. Season juices to taste with salt and pepper; serve separately.
Makes 8 servings.
Note: Roast Chicken with Garlic, Onions and Potatoes:
Quarter 2 chickens and put in a roasting pan. Add potatoes and sprinkle them with about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Chop all the garlic and sprinkle it on the potatoes. Add slice onions and 1/2 cup water to pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Stir potatoes gently and add chopped tomato to pan. Bake uncovered, adding water by tablespoons if pan becomes dry, for 30 minutes or until potatoes and chicken are tender; when you prick the thickest part of a chicken thigh, the juices should run clear. If you want the chicken pieces to be darker brown, broil briefly to brown them.
ZUCCHINI KUGEL WITH DILL
A Sephardi style baked vegetable casserole, this dish makes a nice accompaniment for lamb or chicken.
1 pound medium zucchini
1 pound yellow crookneck squash or additional zucchini
1 large onion
5 eggs
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
1/3 cup matzo meal
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375F. Grate zucchini, yellow squash and onion on large holes of grater. Put both in a strainer and squeeze firmly to remove excess liquid. Transfer zucchini and onions to a bowl. Add eggs, parsley, dill, matzo meal and 1 tablespoon oil. Season quite generously with salt and pepper so mixture will not be bland. Mix well.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a shallow 8-inch square baking dish in oven for 3 or 4 minutes. Add zucchini mixture to hot dish. Sprinkle with remaining oil. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until set. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot.
Makes about 8 servings.
GLAZED MATZO RAISIN KUGEL
This light dessert kugel is enriched with almonds and accented with dark raisins and a cinnamon-brandy glaze.
6 matzos
1/2 cup dark raisins
2/3 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
GLAZE:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons brandy, plus 1 teaspoon if needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with margarine. Break matzos in small pieces and put in a bowl. Cover with hot water and let stand for 2 minutes. Put in a strainer and squeeze out as much water as possible. Put in a large bowl. Cover raisins with hot water. Let stand 5 minutes and drain.
Grind almonds in a food processor with 2 tablespoons sugar until fine. Add to bowl of matzo. Stir in egg yolks, salt, cinnamon, raisins and 4 tablespoons sugar.
Beat egg whites until just stiff. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat at high speed another 1/2 minute or until glossy. Gently fold egg whites, in 4 portions, into matzo mixture.
Spoon mixture into greased dish. Bake in preheated oven about 25 minutes or until firm.
Meanwhile prepare glaze: Combine sugar, 2 tablespoons brandy and cinnamon in small bowl and stir until well blended. If mixture is too thick to pour, add 1 teaspoon brandy.
When kugel is done, remove from oven and spoon glaze evenly over top. Brush glaze gently over kugel. Cut in squares and serve hot or warm.
Makes about 8 servings.
CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT GATEAU
This cake is very rich, moist and delicious and needs no frosting. For a lively presentation, serve each slice garnished with fresh sweetened strawberries.
For a meatless dinner, you can substitute butter for the margarine and, if you like, serve the cake with whipped cream. Potato starch is often used in Passover cakes like this one and produces a tender, slightly crumbly texture.
To reduce the saturated fat, use 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) margarine and 1 tablespoon light olive oil or vegetable oil. Light olive oil is suitable for desserts as it is “light” in flavor (although not lighter than regular olive oil from a nutrition standpoint) and tastes like vegetable oil.
1 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup sugar
5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup (4 ounces) margarine, preferably unsalted, cut in 8 pieces, room temperature
4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
2 tablespoons potato starch
Preheat oven to 350F. Toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan in oven about 8 minutes or until skins begin to split. Transfer to a strainer. While nuts are hot, remove most of skins by rubbing nuts energetically with a towel against strainer. Cool nuts completely.
Reduce oven temperature to 325F. Lightly grease an 8- x 2 1/2-inch springform pan with margarine, line its base with parchment paper or foil and grease paper or foil.
Grind hazelnuts with 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until as fine as possible. Transfer to a bowl.
Melt chocolate in water in a large bowl set above hot water over low heat. Stir until smooth. Add margarine and stir until blended in. Remove from pan of water.
Whisk egg yolks to blend. Gradually add yolks to chocolate mixture, whisking vigorously. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar, followed by vanilla, nuts and potato starch. Mix well.
Whip egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whip at high speed until whites are stiff and shiny but not dry. Gently fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 batches. Fold lightly but quickly, just until batter is blended.
Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 minutes. Run a thin-bladed flexible knife or metal spatula carefully around side of cake. Invert cake onto rack, gently release spring, and remove side and base of pan. Carefully remove paper and cool cake completely. Invert cake onto another rack, then onto a platter so that smoothest side of cake faces up. (Cake can be kept, wrapped, up to 2 days at room temperature or in refrigerator.) If serving cake unfrosted, serve it at cool room temperature.
Whipped cream: Whip cream with sugar and vanilla in chilled bowl until stiff. Spread over top and sides of cake and sprinkle lightly with grated chocolate; or serve whipped cream separately. Chill frosted cake at least 1 hour before serving.
Makes 8 servings.
