arts & life

dining in

Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist

Your Most Successful
Passover Ever

T

here are two ways of
thinking about Passover.
On one hand, it’s a time
of tradition — of gefilte fish,
matzah balls and more. However,
you can make your life easier —
and your offerings more delicious
— if you try to go with the grain
(so to speak), rather than against
it. Read on for more.

TRADITION!
These are the “meat” of Passover.
Because people — especially our
people — have distinct, specific
preferences when it comes to
holiday food, I offer these recipes
with options: Make them and
alter them to how you like them.
Look at the descriptions for some
quick ideas.

GEFILTE FISH
For variety, make this with all
whitefish or another mild fish
— I often use salmon and add a
handful of chopped fresh dill to
the mix. If you prefer your fish

82 April 14 • 2016

“sweet,” add more sugar to taste. I
like peppery fish, so I add lots of
ground pepper to the mix.
3 pounds ground whitefish
(finished weight)
1½ pounds ground pickerel
(finished weight)
¾ cup grated onions
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup matzah meal
4 large eggs
1 cup very hot water with a
pinch of saffron threads (when
water cools, discard saffron)
1½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1½ tsp. ground white pepper
1½ Tbsp. sugar
3 cups sliced carrots

Combine all the ingredients in
a large bowl and hand chop or
mix well with an electric mixer.
Fill a very large, heavy bot-
tomed pot with 6 quarts of water
with 1 tsp. salt and bring it to a
rolling boil over high heat.
Fill another bowl with ice

water — this will keep your
hands cool and help shape the
sticky fish mixture. Dip your
hands in the water and shape
the fish mixture into traditional
“balls,” about ¾ to1 cup of fish
for each ball.
Reduce heat to medium-high
and carefully drop the balls into
the lightly boiling water (about
30-40 balls). Cover the pot, bring
the water to a boil, reduce heat
immediately to low and cook
the fish for 75 minutes, shaking
the pot slightly every once in a
while (to loosen fish balls that
may have stuck to the bottom).
Uncover the pot, add the carrots
and raise the heat to medium-
high. Cook the fish for another
90 minutes, uncovered.
Remove the fish balls with a
slotted spoon from the pot to
a flat dish, being careful not to
stack the fish balls. Save some
or all the remaining fish liquid
and chill. Allow the fish to cool
to room temperature and place
the cooled fish in a large bowl
with the carrots and cover well.
Refrigerate the fish for up to
three days.
Serve the balls garnished
with the carrots and some of the
chilled fish liquid (becomes jel-
lied), if desired. Makes 30 or so
fish balls, depending on size.

FOURINGREDIENT
ROASTED CHICKEN
If you want to add more ingredi-
ents, add quartered new potatoes
and carrots to the pan (about 4
cups of each) after the first 30
minutes of cooking.
1 roasting chicken (about
7 pounds) rinsed, patted dry
(or equivalent cut-up chicken
pieces)
Kosher salt and pepper
4 cups chopped onions
20 garlic cloves, peeled and
rough chopped
¼ cup olive oil

Position rack in bottom third
of oven; preheat to 400°F. Season
chicken inside and out with salt
and pepper. Arrange the chicken
in a roasting pan (with or with-
out a rack).
Combine onions, garlic and
olive oil and toss well. Arrange
them around the chicken.
Roast chicken 30 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350°F and spoon
collected juices and onion mix-
ture over the chicken (don’t
worry that the onions do not
stick). Roast chicken 40 minutes
more until golden and thermom-
eter inserted into thickest part
of thigh registers 180°F. Transfer
chicken to platter; surround with
onions and garlic and drizzle
with the pan juices. Tent with foil
until ready to serve. You may also
cut the chicken before placing
on the platter and top with the
onion and garlic mixture.

GINGERBALSAMIC
SWEET POTATO, CHERRY
AND PEAR TZIMMES
This is a modern version. For tra-
ditional, use sweet potatoes, car-
rots (instead of pears, 8 cups of
1-inch cubes) and prunes instead
of the dried cherries.
6 large sweet potatoes, peeled
and diced
4 firm but ripe pears,
unpeeled, cut into ½-inch
wedges
1 cup sweetened dried cher-
ries, cranberries or golden
raisins
½ cup balsamic vinegar
(optional)
½ cup sweet red wine
¼ cup sugar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh minced, peeled
gingerroot
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg