Come Monday, at sundown, Passover begins.
In which case, a pair of special recipes might be the very thing you’d like to have in hand right this very minute.
And have them we do, courtesy of El Al Airlines, Israel’s national airline, as provided by Steven Weintraub, executive chef of Borenstein Caterers.
Charoset (Sephardic style)
20dates, pitted
3bananas
1/2cup golden raisins
1/4cup sweet red wine
3tablespoons silan (date syrup) or honey
4tablespoons orange juice
2tablespoons finely grated orange zest
1/2cup walnuts, toasted
1/2cup unsalted pistachios, toasted
1/2cup almonds, toasted
11/2teaspoons cinnamon
1teaspoon allspice
1/2teaspoon ginger
1teaspoon nutmeg
1teaspoon ground cloves
In a food processor, puree dates until smooth. Add bananas, raisins, wine, orange juice and silan syrup or honey and process to combine. Add walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and orange zest. Process until smooth. Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to serve. Charoset, served with matzah, symbolizes the mortar the Israelites used in buildings for the Egyptians.
Serves 4 as a dessert.
Gefilte fish terrine
1tablespoon margarine
2pounds halibut fillet, skinned and boned
1pound salmon fillet, skinned and boned
3tablespoons vegetable oil
4medium Spanish onions, diced
4eggs
2cups cold water
6tablespoons matzo meal
2tablespoons sugar
1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2tablespoons dill, plus more for garnish
2large carrots, peeled
2tablespoons Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Water for baking
Horseradish
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with margarine.
Cut the fish into large chunks. Place in the bowl of a food processor; pulse about 20 times. Do not puree but grind fine. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and saute the onions over medium-low heat until soft and transparent; let cool.
To the fish mixture, add the onions, eggs, 2 cups cold water, matzo meal, salt and pepper, sugar and the lemon juice. Beat all in the mixer at medium speed, using a paddle attachment, for about 10 minutes. Add the herbs and grate in the carrots. Mix well.
Pour the mixture into the greased pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and cover with foil. Place in a large pan filled with water which is almost boiling so that water reaches at least halfway up the sides of the pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until the center is solid. Cool the pan and then remove the fish mixture. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
To serve, slice as you would a torte and serve as an appetizer, garnished with parsley and dill. Serve with horseradish.
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