Passover Cooking

Roman Fried Artichokes

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs baby artichokes (or 6 large globe artichokes)
• 2 lemons, halved
• About 4 cups olive oil for frying (it’s traditional to use olive oil but use what you’d like)
• Kosher salt and lemon wedges for serving

Directions

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water, then add the juice from 2 lemons, as well as the juiced lemon halves to the bowl.
2. To clean the artichokes, cut about ½-inch off the top of each artichoke, then remove the tougher, outer leaves until you get to the pale green, yellow leaves. Next, use a paring knife to shave off the outer fibrous layer of each stem and a ¼-inch from the bottom of the stem. Place cleaned artichokes into the lemon water as you go, to prevent oxidation. Repeat with all artichokes and let sit in acidulated water for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the artichokes, then pat dry with a kitchen towel.
4. In a large deep pot, heat oil over medium until it reaches 275°F. There should be enough oil so that the artichokes are fully submerged.
5. When oil is up to temp, carefully add the artichokes and cook until tender but not browned, about 7-10 minutes for baby artichokes, or up to 15 minutes for large artichokes. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain the temperature of the oil. Working in batches is a good idea.
6. Using a slotted spoon, remove artichokes from oil. Place on a paper towel-lined wire rack, then cool for a few minutes until you’re able to handle them. Gently press them down onto a cutting board so the leaves spread out and resemble a flower. (Note: if using larger artichokes, you should use a spoon to scoop out the fuzzy heart at the center and discard. The baby ones don’t have a large choke).
7. For the second fry, increase the heat to medium-high, bringing the temperature of the oil up to 350°F. Once hot, add a few of the artichokes at a time. Fry for about a minute for smaller artichokes, or 1-2 minutes for larger artichokes, or until they’re a deep golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack and season with salt while still hot. Let cool upside-down for better draining, for 5-10 minutes, then serve warm, with lemon wedges.

Middle Eastern Matzo Arayes

Ingredients for Meat Topping

• 1lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium cooking onion, finely chopped (reserve 2 tbsp for garnish)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 bunch curly parsley (reserve ¼ cup for garnish), finely chopped
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Pinches of red pepper flakes, cinnamon and paprika (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

Ingredients for Garnish

• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• ¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Other Ingredients

• 4 squares egg matzo, broken in half, quickly rinsed under cold water and set aside on a kitchen towel

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the ground meat, chopped onion, garlic, red pepper, and parsley. Mix until combined.
2. Place a heaping tablespoon of the meat filling and spread evenly over each moistened piece of matzo, right to the edges. Repeat with all 8 pieces.
3. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Place the meat-topped matzo pieces face down, in batches. Cook for 3-5 minutes on one side, then flip over to crisp up the bottoms for another minute or so, until meat is cooked through and bottom is lightly browned. Add more oil as you go if needed.
4. Once cooked, transfer the matzo arayes to paper towel to drain any excess oil, then garnish with reserved onion, parsley, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and a scattering of pomegranate seeds.

Moroccan Passover Almond-Orange Blossom Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• pinch salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water
• 3 tbsp virgin olive oil
• ½ cup potato starch
• ½ cup almond meal
• zest of 2 oranges

Ingredients for Garnish

• 1/4 cup apricot jam, warmed to be pourable
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform cake tin, place a round of parchment on the bottom, and set aside.
2. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into one bowl and the whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks. Set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar, orange blossom water and oil until pale and fluffy. Carefully fold the whites into the yolks bowl using a rubber spatula, until just combined.
4. Sieve the potato starch onto the cake batter, then add the almond meal, along with the orange zest, and gently fold everything together. Pour into the prepared cake tin.
5. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Once baked, let cool for at least 30 minutes. Then, gently run a knife around the edges. Before removing, brush top with warm apricot jam and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Let sit for at least an hour before serving.