March 23, 2010

I remember when I was a child, in Catholic school, as part of a sort or "cultural enrichment" program, we had a traditional Passover meal. All of us gathered in the gymnasium, decked in our "full-dress" uniforms (read: awkward length plaid skirts, button-up shirts, and itchy wool cardigans), to uncomfortably be served strange food we'd never had before. I don't remember the majority of the food, but I remember I really liked the "crackers" and lamb.

Since that day, I've always wanted to cook my own Passover meal. I have no intention of having a traditional fasting, or reading the Haggadah, or drinking the four cups of wine at the correct intervals (I will drink my wine as I damn well please -- unless I'm in a Newfie bar and someone yells "Sociable!"). But Mark Bittman describes seders as a more secular holiday:

"making do in the scarcity of late winter (matzoh, about the most spartan bread you can make), the celebration of the beginning of spring's bounty (lamb, herbs, new wine — think of Beaujolais Nouveau — and green vegetables), and the very serious ritual of spring cleaning (one of the mandates of Passover is essentially to rid the house of just about everything that's been lying around all winter)".

Having just moved to a new home and still in the midst of massive decluttering and unexpected moving expense, plus the beauty or an early Spring that Vancouver is experiencing, I can definitely relate to that sentiment, and thus, a Passover-themed feast seems in order.

So tonight I cooked three traditional Passover dishes: Matzah balls, Charoset, and Lamb. The Matzah Balls I cheated on a bit and made out of a mix -- mostly because I couldn't locate matzah meal on short notice. The Charoset recipe came from Kosher Express. But the lamb was from Epicurious via Mark Bittman, and is sure to be tasty (although I substitute creamed horseradish for real horseradish root for the same above mentioned reason) I knew the results could be iffy, in different ways for all dishes.

Luckily, things turned out okay. The Charoset was AMAZING, very sweet, good texture, and simple to make -- something I may end up including in everyday meals. The lamb had a great depth of flavour. It started off a litte salty and then suddenly its natural flavours oozed out and it was warm and savoury. I think the odd transition and layering of flavour had to do with the fact that it was seared and then stewed -- and the fact that I added a dash of white wine about 90 minutes into the stewing. The parsley puree was a good topping, adding a lightness to the lamb that was very necessary.

The matzah balls were a tad salty for my taste, but the texture was good and they were a hearty addition, especially for our one vegetarian diner! It was noted that they were kind of like chicken dumplings without being chicken. Next time I think I would boil them in less salt, and instead I would add some other spices - perhaps a red pepper spice or something herby like rosemary. I think that would help cut some of the salt. Even though that would take away from the traditional aspect of the dish, I think it would help the flavour and make them something I would cook on a more regular basis.

While the individual parts of the meal were strong, they really excelled when you combined them. This was an experiment one of my guests tried -- they hollowed out a matzah ball, put in a few cubes of meat, and a dash of the Charoset, topped it with the parsley puree, and ate it in a few bites. After combining the lamb, Charoset, and parsley in a pita, I can attest that the whole is even greater than the sum of the parts. The Charoset adds a sweetness to the robust flavour of the lamb, and the parsley adds a vinegar taste that also cuts. All together would make a fabulous lunch, a great on-the-go snack. It would be great as street food, since the lamb could just be stewed and the parsley and Charoset are very quick and easy to mix up. Perhaps I now have a business plan :)