Passover seder a culinary challenge

Opinion

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This article was published 31/03/2015 (3312 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I came to Jewish cooking late in life, when I met my husband.

Put it this way: Until I was about 30, this Scottish Presbyterian girl thought that gefilte fish was a species. (In fact, it’s a way of preparing fish, being a traditional Jewish dish made of ground fish and often served cold.)

Even after that confusion was cleared up, the process of actually making homemade gefilte fish seemed daunting. When it comes to cooking for the Passover seder, the Jewish ritual meal that marks the beginning of the Passover holiday, I make fried fish cakes instead. My go-to recipe, known in the family as “green fish,” is adapted from a Tunisian Jewish recipe.

This is another aspect of coming late to Jewish cooking. Since I’m not weighted down by generations of family traditions, I tend to range all over the place, often finding myself drawn to Jewish foods with Mediterranean flavours.

Before I prepared my first seder, I thought that Thanksgiving was the big cooking test. But Thanksgiving has nothing on Passover. An elaborate multi-course meal made for a big collection of family and friends, the seder must fulfil ritual obligations while simultaneously dodging many common ingredients. Along with the usual kosher observances, food during Passover may not include leavened grain products. There are also prohibitions on certain foods like corn, rice, beans and seeds.

It’s a wonderful culinary challenge, which is where cauliflower “kugel” comes in.

Kugel is usually all about noodles, but with pasta off the list for the duration of Passover, this recipe makes a very clever substitution with mashed cauliflower. In fact, cauliflower is basically a miracle ingredient, because this dish also manages to be wonderfully creamy without any dairy.

I’ve made this cauliflower “kugel” for years — it’s adapted from an old Bon Appetit recipe — but lately, there’s been an unexpected overlap between old-fashioned Passover cooks and trendier folks who are trying to avoid refined carbohydrates. Even non-Jewish carb-cutters might want to try out this lovely kugel.

 

Green Fish Cakes with Paprika Aioli

700 g (1 1/2 lb) mild white fish fillets without bones, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

About 60 ml (1/4 cup) fresh parsley

About 60 ml (1/4 cup) fresh cilantro

2.5 cm (1 in) piece ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped

7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) ground cumin (see notes)

5 ml (1 tsp) coarse kosher salt

2 ml (1/2 tsp) freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

45-60 ml (3-4 tbsp) matzo meal

Olive oil, for frying

 

Paprika aioli:

175 ml (3/4 cup) good-quality mayonnaise

30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

20 ml (4 tsp) tomato paste

3-5 ml (3/4-1 tsp) smoked Spanish paprika (see notes)

 

In food processor, coarsely grind fish. Remove fish to large bowl. Add to food processor (there’s no need to clean it) the onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro and ginger and pulse until ingredients form a very coarse green paste. Add cumin, salt and pepper and pulse just to mix. Add herb mixture to fish and stir until combined. Stir in egg and enough matzo meal for a good consistency. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and, using a generous 15 ml (1 tbsp) for each patty, form mixture into small fish cakes, about 4 cm (1 1/2 inches) in diameter and 1.2 cm (1/2 inch) high.

Prepare aioli: In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, tomato paste and paprika. Set aside.

In large sauté pan over medium heat, add about 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil and fry fish cakes in batches, adding more oil as needed, until lightly brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve fish cakes with aioli. Serves 8-10.

 

Tester’s notes: I used a mix of pickerel and sole for these fish cakes, but you can use haddock or cod or whatever mild, white kosher fish looks good at the store. Some households avoid ground spices during the holiday unless certified kosher for Passover, and you can always make the fish cakes without cumin. You can also leave out the paprika in the aioli, or serve the fish with old-school beet horseradish.

I usually fry these fish cakes quickly while dinner is going on, because they are so tasty right out of the pan. With a large skillet, it’s only a few batches taking a few minutes each. But if this isn’t feasible — or if you’re doubling the recipe for a crowd — you can make and fry the cakes ahead, store in the fridge on a baking sheet covered with foil, and then reheat uncovered in a 175 C (350 F) oven for about 10 minutes. This makes about 32 small cakes. I tend to start with three per person, but it’s nice to have some on hand for seconds.

 

Cauliflower ‘Kugel’

1.8 l (8 cups) cauliflower florets (from about 1 large head cauliflower)

60 ml (4 tbsp) olive oil, divided

3 leeks (white and pale green parts only), well cleaned and chopped

90 ml (6 tbsp) matzo meal

3 eggs

125 ml (1/2 cup) finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

125 ml (1/2 cup) finely chopped fresh dill, divided

6 ml (1 1/4 tsp) salt

3 ml (3/4 tsp) freshly ground black pepper

125 ml (1/2 cup) slivered blanched almonds, toasted and chopped

 

Preheat oven to 175C (350F). Brush a 28×18 cm (11×7 in) glass or ceramic baking dish with oil. In large pot of boiling salted water, cook cauliflower until tender-crisp, about 5-8 minutes. Drain and then mash coarsely — you want to end up with some mash and some small cauliflower chunks. Place in large bowl.

In large heavy frying pan over medium heat, add 30 ml (2 tbsp) oil and sauté leeks until tender and just starting to colour, about 5 minutes. Add leeks to cauliflower mixture. Stir in matzo meal. In small bowl, mix together eggs, 30 ml (2 tbsp) parsley, 30 ml (2 tbsp) dill, salt and pepper. Add to cauliflower-leek mixture.

Spread cauliflower-leek mixture into prepared baking dish. In small bowl, combine remaining 30 ml (2 tbsp) oil with almonds and remaining herbs. Sprinkle over kugel and bake until set in centre and beginning to brown on top, about 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

 

Tester’s notes: This dish can be prepared up to the point of baking about 8 hours ahead and then covered and refrigerated. Remove from fridge about 15 minutes before baking to take the chill off and then cook as directed.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca