Celebratory Dishes for Passover Gatherings
As the Passover holiday draws near, many members of the Bon Appétit team are preparing for their Seder celebrations. They reveal their culinary plans, contemplating whether to serve light or hearty matzo balls, and choosing between chicken, brisket, or even meatballs. This collection features a mix of timeless Bon Appétit favorites and treasured family recipes, offering fresh ideas for your own holiday feast.
Nina Moskowitz, an associate editor focused on cooking, shares her sister's unwavering tradition of hosting Passover. Although Nina occasionally hosts other Jewish holidays, her sister firmly controls the Seder. Typically, her sister prepares brisket or salmon, matzo ball soup, and zucchini kugel, entrusting Nina and her other sibling with a side dish and dessert. For years, Nina has contributed roasted carrots and matzo bark. Last year, she made Maple–Harissa Glazed Carrots, and this year, she plans to make Shawarma-Spiced Carrots With Date and Herb Salad, a recipe from former Bon Appétit staffer Zaynab Issa. Nina envisions a future Seder where she might host, and if so, Roasted Salmon With Citrus Salsa Verde would definitely be on her menu.
Rebecca Firkser, a Test Kitchen editor, expresses her annual excitement for preparing charoset, embracing both the chunky Ashkenazi version with apples and walnuts from her childhood and the smooth Sephardic rendition featuring dates and various nuts. She often improvises on the traditional apple charoset, transforming it into a salad with thinly sliced apples, toasted walnuts, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt. She also enjoys making a firmer date charoset that can be rolled into truffles, which are particularly delightful when dipped in melted dark chocolate. However, Rebecca's most unconventional take on charoset is to forego it entirely, opting instead for a fruit and nut platter. This platter, inspired by the spirit of charoset, includes dates, dried apricots, apple wedges, grapes, walnuts, pistachios, and a selection of store-bought macaroons and colorful jelly fruit slices, reminiscent of those her grandparents always served during the holiday.
Abi Lieff, assistant to the editor-in-chief, considers her mother's twist on Bonnie Stern’s Caramel Matzo Crunch, now affectionately known as Mama’s Matzo Bark, an indispensable part of Passover. Living away from home, Abi finds comfort in making this recipe for her Seder. It's not only simple to prepare but also a joy to eat, requiring just four ingredients: matzo, butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips. These humble ingredients combine to create sweet, rich, toffee-like treats that make her genuinely appreciate matzo. Abi particularly enjoys customizing the bark with flaky salt, crushed hazelnuts, or rainbow sprinkles, noting that any addition works wonderfully.
Emma Jacobson, a contributing social media editor, describes Passover as her mother's equivalent of the Super Bowl, a holiday for which she meticulously prepares everything from scratch: soup, chopped liver, gefilte fish, her renowned brisket, and Emma's personal favorite—her grandmother's sweet-and-sour meatballs. This year, Emma is in charge of making the meatballs. She will prepare her grandmother's tangy sauce, a blend of tomato juice, brown sugar, and sauerkraut, and the meatballs themselves, made from ground beef, onion, eggs, and matzo meal. These meatballs will simmer in the sauce until they are glossy and tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. They will be served in her grandmother's antique silver soup tureen, though Emma admits it's tempting to eat them directly from the pot.
Rachel Tepper Paley, the site director, learned from her mother that the perfect matzo ball is airy and cloud-like. Her mother's recipe closely resembles Molly Baz's No-Nonsense Matzo Balls, with one crucial distinction: each matzo ball must float and remain at the surface of the simmering liquid throughout the cooking process. Any matzo balls that sink are deemed to have a dense, undesirable center, an outcome unacceptable for Passover. They collaborate on the soup, with her mother expertly crafting the matzo balls while Rachel focuses on the broth. Rachel's unique contribution is a variation of Andy Baraghani's exceptional Chicken Soup With Caramelized Ginger. She suggests a few modifications: using a rotisserie chicken to save time, removing the meat to add back at the end, and reserving the bones for the broth. She also triples the ginger, garlic, and sugar, which imparts a restorative quality to the soup. However, she cautions that this approach is best suited for those who genuinely appreciate a strong ginger flavor.
This Passover, culinary traditions blend with modern twists as Bon Appétit staff share their beloved Seder dishes. From the nuanced flavors of Shawarma-spiced carrots and versatile charoset preparations to comforting matzo bark and savory sweet-and-sour meatballs, these recipes underscore the importance of family heritage and personal touches in holiday cooking. The meticulous art of crafting perfect, buoyant matzo balls and flavorful chicken soup further highlights the dedication and love poured into each festive meal, inviting everyone to savor the season's special flavors.