All the traditional Passover ceremonial foods remain the same: charoset, salty egg soup, bitter herbs and matzah. The only change is that the chicken soup and roast chicken, although served in two courses, will be cooked in the same pot.
We have family and friends over on both nights of Passover, so I make a lot of chicken soup. When people ask how to make the soup more flavorful, my answer is simple: Put more chicken in the pot.
I have two large pots to make the soup the day before Passover, and six whole, trussed chickens go into the water right after the vegetables. To inexpensively give the soup even more flavor, buy extra giblets, place them on a length of cheesecloth and tie the package closed with string before adding them to the soup. This way, they will not become lost in the soup, and you can serve the giblets during dinner.
Bring the soup to a boil and simmer until the chickens are almost falling apart, then carefully transfer them to a roaster with a vegetable tomato-rosemary sauce. Cover and bake. No one will ever guess that the chickens were boiled, because the new flavors take over.
Matzah balls are made the day of the seder, and with two pots of soup available, you won’t need to crowd them. If there are any leftovers, they taste just as good the following day.
To go with the roast chicken, prepare a vegetable stuffing the day before and spoon it into a casserole to bake.
Having spent less effort in the kitchen, you will now have time to make an easy but fabulous dessert. Just double the recipe for the charoset, roll into balls and cover with melted bittersweet chocolate. Allow the Charoset Truffles to cool and harden in the refrigerator and serve them at the end of the meal.
Judy’s Passover Chicken Soup(Click here for just the recipe)
3 5-pound chickens or 2 3-pound chickens, trussed
2 pounds chicken necks and gizzards, tied in cheesecloth
4 large onions, diced
1 medium leek, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 to 3 cups thinly sliced carrots (16 small carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 to 3 cups thinly sliced celery with tops (5 stalks celery with tops, cut into 1-inch pieces)
3 medium parsnips, thinly sliced
12 sprigs fresh parsley
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
(The Fluffiest Matzah Balls recipe follows)
In a large, heavy Dutch oven or pot, place trussed chickens, necks and gizzards, onions, leek, carrots, celery, parsnips and enough water to cover. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Using a large spoon, skim off the scum that rises to the top. Cover, leaving the lid ajar, reduce heat to low and simmer for one hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Uncover and simmer 30 minutes longer.
With two large (slotted) spoons, carefully remove the chickens from the soup and transfer to a large platter. Let soup cool to room temperature, then chill. Skim off fat that hardens on the surface and discard.
Makes 12 servings.
The Fluffiest Matzah Balls(Click here for just the recipe)
I’ve been tweaking this matzah ball recipe over the years, and I’m now satisfied that it produces the lightest matzah balls you’ve ever tasted. If you don’t want to take the time to make them, boil some Passover noodles and add to the soup instead.
3 eggs, separated
About 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
1 to 1 1/2 cups matzah meal
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Place egg yolks in a measuring cup and add enough water or chicken stock to fill one cup. Beat with a fork until well blended. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks; do not overbeat. In a small bowl, combine matzah meal with salt and pepper. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the yolk mixture alternately with the matzah mixture into beaten egg whites. Use only enough matzah to make a light, soft dough. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let firm up for five minutes.
Bring soup to a slow boil and using a large spoon, gently drop in matzah balls. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes (do not uncover during this cooking time).
Makes 12 servings.
Judy’s Passover Roasted Chickens(Click here for just the recipe)
3 tablespoons safflower or olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 16-ounce cans of tomatoes (diced or chopped)
2 cups dry white or red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 chickens from the soup, whole or cut in pieces
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
In a large roaster, heat oil and sauté onions, carrots, celery and garlic until soft. Add tomatoes with juice and wine and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper.
Arrange boiled chickens in the sauce, baste and top with sprigs of rosemary. Cover and bake in the oven until ready to serve and the sauce thickens. Transfer to a large serving platter and let guests help themselves.
Makes 24 servings.
Passover Baked Vegetable Stuffing(Click here for just the recipe)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 bunch carrots, peeled and grated
1 parsnip, peeled and grated
2 large zucchini, unpeeled and grated
1/2 cup minced parsley
1/2 cup plumped raisins, dried cranberries or apricots (in sweet wine)
2 tablespoons matzah meal
2 tablespoons matzah cake meal
2 tablespoons Passover potato starch
1/4 to 2 cups Passover red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large, heavy skillet heat the oil and sauté onions and garlic until transparent. Add celery, carrots, parsnip, zucchini and toss and sauté for five minutes until vegetables soften. Add parsley, raisins and mix thoroughly. Simmer five minutes.
Blend in matzah meal, matzah cake meal, Passover potato starch, add wine and mix well. Add additional dry ingredients, a tablespoon at a time, until stuffing is a soft texture and not dry. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Brush a baking dish with oil and spoon in stuffing. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.
Yemenite Charoset/Charoset Truffles(Click here for the just the recipe)
1 cup pitted, chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of coriander
1 small red chili pepper, seeded and minced,
or pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons matzah meal
1/3 cup sweet Passover wine
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cups melted semisweet chocolate
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the knife blade, blend the dates, figs, ginger, coriander, chili pepper, matzah meal and wine. Mix in sesame seeds and transfer to a glass bowl. Roll into one-inch balls or serve in a bowl.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups or 12 balls.
Dessert Variation: Dip charoset balls into melted chocolate and place on wax paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate.
