Around the Passover Table (24 page)
Read Around the Passover Table Online
Authors: Jayne Cohen
COOK'S NOTE
: A little freshly grated ginger added to the apricots in place of, or along with, the almond extract is a delicious addition.
If you are preparing the cake more than a day or two ahead, hold off inverting it until a couple of hours before serving to ensure the crust remains firm.
Caramelized Apple-Almond Torte
For the topping
2 cups pure, unsweetened apple juice (do not use unfiltered juice)
1
â
3
cup packed brown sugar
1
â
4
cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1
â
4
teaspoon salt
Almond, walnut, or other kosher-for-Passover oil for greasing the pan
5 medium-large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
1
â
4
teaspoon ground cinnamon
PREPARE
the same crust as above, substituting 1
1
â
2
cups blanched almonds for the hazelnuts.
PREHEAT
the oven to 375°F. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a deep, ovenproof 9-inch enameled or regular cast-iron skillet.
IN
a very wide, heavy saucepan, cook the apple juice, uncovered, over medium-high heat until reduced to about
1
â
3
cup. Adjust the heat to moderate, and stir in the brown and white sugars, using a wooden spoon (a metal spoon may lower the temperature too much, causing the mixture to seize and harden). Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar is melted and the syrup is a deep amber color. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, then stir in the lemon juice and salt.
ARRANGE
the apples in the skillet and sprinkle them with the cinnamon. Spoon the syrup over the apples (it will not matter whether you coat them perfectly evenly: the syrup will bubble up in the hot oven, generously covering all the apple pieces). Bake the apples uncovered for 20 minutes.
SPREAD
the crust batter over the hot apples, avoiding the pan edges, and continue with the recipe above.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Shalet (Pudding)
yield:
6 to 8 servings
I try to orchestrate my holiday menus to the rhythm of the seasons, and where I live, rhubarb is the first and only fruit (yes, technically a vegetable, but used as a fruit) to arrive in early spring from almost-local farms. I use it often at Passover, when its brassy flavor sounds all the right notes in the rich, multicourse dinner.
Here the tingly-tart fruit partners with strawberries in a flour-free soufflé-pudding. The simple recipe, a riff on Claudia Roden's Apple Shalet from her seminal work,
The World of Jewish Food
, makes a perfect airy-light conclusion to the seder. At nonmeat meals, serve the shalet with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
4 cups rhubarb, ends trimmed (discard leaves; they can be toxic), tough strings removed with a vegetable peeler, and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound)
1
â
2
cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1
â
2
teaspoon kosher-for-Passover vanilla extract
Salt
2 cups fresh ripe strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered, or cut into sixths or eighths if large
Avocado, walnut, or other kosher-for-Passover oil for greasing the pan
6 large eggs, separated (at room temperature)
1
â
4
cup granulated white sugar
PLACE
the rhubarb in a bowl, sprinkle it with
1
â
2
cup of the brown sugar, and toss well. Let the rhubarb stand for 20 to 30 minutes, giving it a stir now and then to encourage release of its juices.
PUT
the rhubarb and all its exuded juices in a nonreactive lidded saucepan, add the vanilla extract and
1
â
4
teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the rhubarb is very tender, taking care not to let it soften to mush. Remove the pan from the heat. The rhubarb will thicken as it cools.
MEANWHILE,
place the strawberries in a separate bowl, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and mix well. Let the strawberries macerate as the rhubarb simmers and cools.
PREHEAT
the oven to 350°F. Oil the bottom and sides of a glass or ceramic baking dish, 13 by 9 inches or the equivalent.
IN
a large bowl, using electric beaters, beat the yolks until light and thickened, about 5 minutes. In a separate large bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until frothy. Gradually tip in the white sugar, while continuing to whip until the whites hold peaks stiff, but not dry. Mix the rhubarb and strawberries into the beaten yolks, then gently fold in the whites.
SPOON
the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 50 minutes, until the top of the pudding is uniformly puffed and golden brown. (The top may turn light brown after only 30 minutes of baking, but you'll probably see areas of slight depression where the pudding contains more liquid. Wait until these areas puff and rise before removing the pudding from the oven.)
TRANSFER
the pudding to a rack, and let it cool to room temperature. It will deflate somewhat as it cools.
REFRIGERATE
until chilled, and serve either chilled or at room temperature.
 Â
Mango- and Sour-Cherry Macaroon Crumble
yield:
About 6 servings
Around Passover at our house macaroons tend to proliferate like wire coat hangers from the dry cleaners. In addition to the ones I make, there are the cakey commercial variety I purchase from my nephews, who peddle Passover sweets as a fund-raiser for their school. A lively fruit crumble is a fresh way to make use of the leftovers, and other suggestions follow this recipe (see Cook's Note).
1
1
â
2
cups macaroons (homemade or commercial), crumbled
1 cup kosher-for-Passover amaretto
1 large, ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into small chunks (1
1
â
2
to 1
3
â
4
cups)
1 cup canned pitted sour cherries packed in water, drained
2 tablespoons dried cherries or dried cranberries
1
â
4
teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1
â
4
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1
â
2
cup almonds, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, cut into bits, plus additional for greasing the pan
Optional accompaniment: vanilla ice cream or dairy-free coconut sorbet
IF
the macaroons are very moist, toast them lightly on a baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then let cool. Or leave them out overnight to dry until they are crumbly.
PREHEAT
the oven to 375°F. In a small saucepan, reduce the amaretto to
1
â
2
cup over medium-high heat. Combine the mango, sour cherries, dried cherries or cranbzerries, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour the hot amaretto over the fruit and stir with a wooden spoon to coat evenly. Set aside for about 30 minutes to macerate.
CHOP
the macaroons coarsely by hand or in a food processor using the pulse motion. Transfer to a bowl and mix with the almonds and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
BUTTER
an 8- to 10-inch glass or ceramic pie pan or similar ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit and accumulated juices into the prepared pan. Scatter the macaroon mixture evenly on top. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm or cold, topped with vanilla ice cream or coconut sorbet, if desired.
COOK'S NOTE
: Here are some other ways to use macaroons:
Old-Fashioned Biscuit Tortoni:
pack softened ice cream (some suggestions: vanilla, coffee, cherry vanilla) into paper cups. Sprinkle the tops generously with crushed macaoon crumbs and press in firmly. Or fold some crushed macaroons into the softened ice cream, then top with additional crushed macaroons. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until solid.
Italian-Style Baked Fruit:
lightly sweeten pear or peach halves. (If peaches are not flavorfulâthey are out of season in springâslice them with equal amounts of mango.) Combine crumbled macaroons with some butter and stuff the fruit halves with the mixture (or flatten the mixture into disks and place over the sliced fruit). Place the fruit in a baking dish, and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Add a few tablespoons of white grape juice or other sweet fruit juice or wine to the pan to keep the fruit moist and prevent it from sticking, and bake until the fruit is tender and juicy, basting occasionally with the pan liquid.
Stir crushed macaroons in fruit compotes.
Bake finely crushed macaroons until dry and use for cookie crumb crustsâespecially good for cheese cake or ice cream pies.
MAKING MATZOH BRIE
You can prepare matzoh brie in several different ways, from fluffy matzoh omelets to crisp French toastâstyle to batter fried like pancakes. Like most breakfast food mavens, matzoh brie lovers tend to claim there is only
one
correct way to make it (theirs, of course). But I have found that personal preferences aside, different flavorings are often better-suited to one method of preparation than another: tender, delicate artichoke hearts, for example, are best savored in a matzoh brie that is light and fluffy, not thin and crisp. And I think it is easier to transform a homey, savory matzoh brie into a refined side dish or light entree when it is presented whole, like a giant frittata, at more formal meals.
All else being equal, my favorite is the combination matzoh brie, known as scrambled egg-style: a jumble of buttery crisp, well-flavored, chewy, and creamy egg-rich piecesâall in one mouthful.
When I merely want to soften the matzoh, I use cold water. Hot water leaches out the matzoh flavor. When I want a liquid like apple juice to impart flavor as well as soften, I often warm it first so it is better absorbed.
1.
For Either Fluffy or Combination (Scrambled EggâStyle) Matzoh Brie:
Soak the matzoh in cold water until soft but not mushy, and gently press out moisture with your hands, or place in a colander and press with the back of a spoon. The less liquid it holds, the more egg it will absorb and the fluffier it will be. Let the matzoh drink in the beaten eggs for about 10 minutes or longer to produce the fluffiest matzoh brie. (The egg may or may not be completely absorbed by the matzoh; it will not matter.) Use either a large, heavy, well-seasoned skillet or a nonstick one (nonstick would be preferable if the matzoh brie contains dried fruit, such as raisins or prunes). Add the matzoh mixture all at once to the hot, greased pan. Spread it out evenly, and let it cook over medium heat until it is set and golden on the bottom and around the edges. Now you have a choice.
â¢
For attractive matzoh brie resembling a frittata:
Turn the matzoh in one piece. Slip a spatula around the edges and underneath the matzoh brie to loosen it. Use the spatula to help you slide the matzoh brie out onto a platter larger than the skillet, uncooked side up. If needed, add more butter or oil to the skillet. Then, gently holding onto the edges of the matzoh brie with your fingertips, invert the platter over the skillet so that the matzoh brie drops into the skillet, uncooked side down. Another method for flipping the matzoh brie in one piece, if your skillet is not too heavy: After you've loosened the matzoh brie, remove the skillet from the heat. Place the platter face down over the skillet. With one hand holding onto the skillet handle and the other hand placed on the center of the platter, quickly flip them over so that the matzoh brie lands on the platter, cooked side up. Return the skillet to the heat, adding more butter or oil, if needed. Wait until it's sizzling again before sliding the matzoh brie back into the skillet, still cooked side up. Cook the second side until it is lightly browned. Or, for a less-refined look, simply cut the matzoh brie into halves or quarters and then turn to brown each section. Cook until still fluffy inside or more well-done, as you prefer.
â¢
Known as scrambled eggâstyle,
your alternative is matzoh brie that is homelier, but more varied in texture and taste. After the bottom is set, break the matzoh brie into sections with the spatula. Keep lifting and turning the sections as they brown until you have a superb melange of lightly crisp, chewy, moist, and fluffy pieces. Don't overcook the matzoh brie or it will be dry and hard.
2.
For Crisp, French ToastâStyle Matzoh Brie:
Soak the matzoh just long enough to soften it, then gently but thoroughly press out the liquid with your hands, or place in a colander and press with the back of a spoon. For the crispest matzoh brie, moisten both sides of matzoh under the cold water tap, then dry between paper towels. Dip the matzoh into beaten eggs just until thoroughly coated: Don't let it soak. Heat a generously greased, heavy, well-seasoned, preferably cast-iron skillet, rather than a nonstick one. Add the matzoh all at once to the hot, sizzling pan, and spread it out in a thin layer. (If necessary, fry in batches: if you fry too much at once, it won't be crisp.) Fry over medium to medium-high heat until browned on the bottom. Now decide whether you want to keep the matzoh brie in one pieceâit will be more attractive, certainly, but rather tricky to do, perhaps more trouble than this homey dish calls for. To keep the matzoh in one piece, try using two spatulas to carefully flip it. Or turn it like a frittata, that is, slide it out onto a platter, and then invert the platter over the skillet (see “For attractive matzoh brie resembling a frittata”). Or cook it in batches in a smaller skillet, so it will be easier to flip. If looks don't count, simply cut it in half or in quarters and turn each piece, using two spatulas.
3.
For Fried Pancake-Like Matzoh Brie:
Soak the matzoh in cold water until it is quite soft, almost falling apart. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands, or place in a colander and press with the back of a spoon. Beat the matzoh with the eggs in a large bowl until well combined. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into the hot, greased skillet, flatten slightly with a spatula, and fry over medium to medium-high heat, flipping once, until browned on both sides.