Pho to by Anna bel Cohe n

The Main
Course

Wowing the crowd at the Passover
seder or after a week of matzah.

ANNABEL COHEN

Special to the Jewish News

I is Passover. It's rwo hours into
the seder. Everyone's already
full because they've consumed
soup, fish, matzah, charoset,.
hardboiled eggs, wine and who
knows what else.
It's time for the main course and it
had better be good. After all, a crowd
that's not all that hungry can be a
critical bunch. You'll probably want
to serve the family favorites —
Bubbie's brisket and your famous
matzah farfel. Go ahead.
There's no reason, however, that
you can't throw a little variety into
the meal.
Even if you don't choose to make
these great entrees for the seder,
there's a whole week of Passover eat-
ing. to take advantage of something
new. After three days of leftovers,
you'll probably welcome something
different.

CHICKEN WITH SWEET
POTATOES AND THYME

From Jodee Fishman-Raines,
Huntington Woods. Adapted from

Delicious Legacy: Jewish Cooking from
Michigan and Central Galilee. "My
family loves this and I make it all
year round," said Fishman-Raines.
"It's perfect for Passover and is a
whole meal in one."
12 assorted chicken pieces (thighs,
drumsticks and breasts), skin
removed
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, cut
into pieces
4 large sweet potatoes peeled and
cut into thick slices or chunks
2 red bell peppers — remove seeds
and cut in quarters, then cut quar-

ters in half
6 cups peeled and coarsely
chopped onions
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups pitted prunes
1 T. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. minced garlic
1/3 cup honey
2 T. turmeric
1 t. crushed red pepper
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange
chicken pieces in a large baking dish
(because of the large quantity of veg-
etables, you will likely need to use
two baking dishes or a large dispos-
able aluminum pan). Dot the breasts
with margarine. Arrange the sweet
potatoes, bell peppers, onions, raisins
and prunes around the chicken.
Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables
with thyme, salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl, combine the
garlic, honey, turmeric, red pepper
flakes, wine and broth and whisk
well. Pour this mixture over the
chicken and vegetables, cover the
baking dish with foil and bake for
one hour. Raise heat to 400F, remove
foil and cook another 20-30 minutes,
until the vegetables are cooked
through and the chicken is browned.
Makes 8 servings.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH
ARTICHOKES, RED PEPPER
AND OLIVES
This is an adapted version of a recipe
my mother always makes, using
chicken and pasta sauce from a jar.
This is a little fancier for the holi-
days. The recipe is for four, but it
doubles, triples and quadruples beau-
tifully.

Jodee Fishman-Raines shows off her chicken with sweet potatoes
and thyme.

reduce heat and simmer the chicken
3 T. olive oil
for 40 minutes more. Add the arti-
1 3-4 pound chicken, cut into 8
chokes, olives, and capers and cook
pieces
• for 10 minutes more. (This may be
salt and pepper to taste
made up to a day ahead of time and
1 cup chopped onions
reheated, adding more wine or water
1 t. minced garlic
if the sauce is too thick.) Transfer the
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
chicken to a serving platter and
1 cup white wine
spoon the sauce over and around it.
1 t. dried rosemary or 2 sprigs
Garnish with remaining chopped
fresh
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, plus parsley and serve hot. Makes 4-6
servings.
1/4 cup more, garnish
grated peel from one orange
VEAL ROAST IN WINE SAUCE
1 red bell pepper, chopped
This can be made well ahead of time
1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke
and frozen until the day you serve it.
hearts (not marinated)
1 3-4-pound boned veal breast or
12 or more Kalamata or other
shoulder
good quality olives
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. drained capers
1 cup chopped onion
Heat olive oil over medium-high
1 t. minced garlic
heat in a large Dutch oven or soup
pot with lid. Season chicken with salt 2 cups diced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
and pepper and saute the chicken
1 cup white wine
pieces in the oil, on all sides until
kosher salt and pepper to taste
browned. Remove the chicken from
grated peel of 1 orange
the pot to a dish and set aside.
2 cups beef broth
Add the onions and garlic to the
2 bay leaves
pot and saute until softened, about 3
fresh chopped parsley, garnish
minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine,
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a large
rosemary, 1/4 cup parsley, grated peel
baking dish with nonstick cooking
and red pepper. Stir well before
spray. Set aside.
returning the chicken to the pot and
Heat oil in a large skillet or pot
spooning sauce over the chicken as
over high heat. Place the veal roast in
much as possible.
the hot oil and brown well on both
Bring the liquid to a boil, cover,

'NV

3/15
2002

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