Minestra Dayenu
This unusual soup is a traditional Passover soup of the Jewish community of Turin, in Italy.
• 7 ½ cups chicken stock
• 3 matzos, cut in small pieces
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Bring the chicken stock to a boil, throw in the matzo pieces, and simmer ½ hour, until the matzo is very soft and bloated. In a soup tureen, beat the egg yolks with the cinnamon and 4 or 5 tablespoons of cold water, then gradually pour in the soup, stirring constantly. Serves 6.
M’Soki
Among Tunisian Jews, m’soki, is a Passover favorite. This is a hearty, soupy stew that incorporates two Passover food themes: vegetables and lamb.
This delicious stew also contains artichokes, a spring vegetable that is closely identified with Passover in Sephardi Jewish cooking.
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 lamb shoulder, boned (about 3 lbs.)
• 1 lb. beef ribs
• 2 lbs. beef shank
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 fresh fennel bulbs, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
• 3 lbs. fresh spinach, chopped
• Green tops of 3 beets, chopped
• 8 artichoke bottoms, fresh or canned, quartered
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro,
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 matzos
Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Season the lamb, and beef with salt and pepper to taste, and brown in batches on all sides. Remove from the pot. Then toss the fennel, carrots, onions into the pot and sauté, scraping up any bits of meat that have stuck to the bottom. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until slightly softened. Add the spinach and beet tops, and cook until wilted.
Return the browned meat to the pot, and barely cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over medium-high heat for 30 minutes.
Add the artichoke bottoms, cilantro, mint and nutmeg. Lower the heat so that the soup is barely simmering, and cook for 2 more hours, or until the meat is very tender, adding water if needed.
Cut the meat into 1 inch pieces, discarding any bones, and put it back into the soup. Just before serving, break up the matzos into six pieces each. Soak them in salted water until slightly moistened, then press out the water. Serve the soup garnished with cilantro, mint and the matzo pieces. Serves 10 to 12.
Anjinaras
Here is another traditional Passover recipe from the Jewish community of Turkey.
• 8 fresh artichokes, or two 9 oz packages frozen artichokes
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ cup minced shallots
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
Slice off the stems of the fresh artichokes and the tough outer leaves. Turn each artichoke on its side and slice off about 1 inch from the top, exposing the pale interior. Nip off the spiny points of the remaining leaves. Quarter each artichoke and remove the hairy bits from the center. Add the quarters to a bowl of water.
In a large pot, bring a quart of water to a boil with the honey, lemon juice, and oil. Add the artichokes, lower the heat, and cook, covered, for 40-45 minutes for fresh artichokes, or until tender but not mushy. Frozen artichokes, which need not be defrosted, will cook in 6-8 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the artichokes to a serving bowl. Combine with the shallots. Boil down the cooking liquid until it is syrupy and reduced in volume to about ½ cup. Pour this liquid over the artichokes. Let cool to room temperature and serve sprinkled with the parsley. Serves 6 to 8.
