easter & passover

recipes to celebrate

With the return of spring come the religiously observed holidays of Easter and Passover. Honor these dates with dishes that use ingredients in both modern and traditional ways.

50 min

prep time serves 4

Roasted Radishes and Turnips with Brown Butter Sauce

From To the Last Bite by Alexis deBoschnek ($32.50, Simon & Schuster, 2022)

1 bunch radishes, halved 1 bunch baby turnips, halved, or 2 medium turnips, cut into eighths ¼ c olive oil 1 tsp kosher salt 3 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 tsp Dijon mustard Juice of K lemon 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley 1 Tbsp capers, drained and rinsed, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400˚.

2. Place radishes and turnips on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt, using your hands to toss to coat.

3. Roast radishes and turnips until roots are golden brown and forktender and greens are crispy, about 25 minutes. Radishes and turnips can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, although tops will no longer be crispy. 4. Meanwhile, add butter to a small saucepan over medium-high heat, twirling pan occasionally until butter melts and foams. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cool for at least 5 minutes.

5. Add Dijon, lemon juice, parsley, and capers to brown butter and whisk to combine. Pour brown butter sauce over radishes and turnips, and serve immediately. Kitchen Note: This recipe calls for both the root of these vegetables and their tops. Seriously, don’t toss the tops! Most radish tops will have to be washed a few times to remove any grit, but the extra step is worth it. When the tops are roasted they become crispy, almost chip-like. Don’t worry about any spiky leaves. They’ll melt away once roasted.

Per serving: 213 Calories, 1 g Protein, 4 g Carbohydrates, 2 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 1 g Fiber, 22 g Total fat (7 g sat), 223 mg Sodium, HHH Vitamin K, H Vitamin C, E

Apricot-Mustard Salmon with Massaged Chard

From FOOD52 Big Little Recipes by Emma Laperruque ($24.99, Ten Speed Press, 2021) 2 bunches rainbow or Swiss chard Kosher salt 4 (6 oz) skin-on salmon fillets ¼ c apricot jam ¼ c Dijon mustard Extra-virgin olive oil Freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus wedges for serving 1. Use your hands to separate chard’s stems and leaves. Save stems for another use. Slice leaves into thin ribbons and add to a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and gently massage to slightly soften. 2. Position a rack in upper quarter of oven and turn on broiler. Pat-dry salmon and then sprinkle all over with salt. Combine jam and Dijon in a small bowl and season with salt to taste. 3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and, when it’s hot, add salmon, skin-side down, and immediately press with a spatula (this prevents curling). Drop heat to medium-low and cook for 4 minutes.

30 min

prep time serves 4

4. Meanwhile, drizzle chard with some of the oil and the lemon juice to taste. Toss, taste, and adjust salt, oil, and lemon juice if needed. Aim for a punchy-bright flavor, since the salmon is rich. 5. After 4 minutes, turn off stove, flip salmon, and use spatula (or your fingers) to peel off skin. Lay skin pieces across one half of baking sheet. Flip salmon again (so the barely cooked side is facing up), transfer to empty half of baking sheet, and brush glaze on top. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, checking frequently, until glaze is bubbling and skin is crisp as a cracker (you may need to rotate pan to encourage even cooking or remove skin earlier if it’s ready first). 6. Serve glazed salmon and chard salad with lemon wedges to squeeze over crispy salmon skin to crumble on top. Kitchen Note: This glaze is wonderful with any rich protein—especially salmon. If you can’t track down rainbow or Swiss chard, kale can step in. This recipe seamlessly halves to serve two.

Per serving: 519 Calories, 40 g Protein, 24 g Carbohydrates, 12 g Total sugars (9 g Added sugars), 5 g Fiber, 31 g Total fat (6 g sat), 1,054 mg Sodium, HHHHH Vitamin A, B3 (niacin), B6, B12, C, E, K, Magnesium, Phosphorus, HHHH Vitamin B1 (thiamine), HHH Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Potassium, HH Folate, Iron, H Calcium, Zinc

Roast Chicken with Schmaltz Massage and Le Puy Lentils

From Modern Kosher by Michael Aaron Gardiner ($40, Rizzoli, 2020)

For the Chicken

1 whole chicken (about 3 lb) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 shallots, halved 1 large carrot, roughly chopped 8 to 10 sprigs thyme 2 to 3 Tbsp Schmaltz (recipe follows), depending on exact size of bird (make sure Schmaltz is straight out of the refrigerator so that it is solid, not liquid) 1 lemon, cut in half

For the Lentils

1 small onion 3 whole cloves 1 c Le Puy lentils (or beluga lentils), picked over and rinsed 1 medium carrot, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces 1 rib celery, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces 1 bay leaf 2 c low-sodium chicken stock 1. To make chicken: If possible, season chicken both inside and out with salt and pepper one to two days ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to cook. This is basically a dry brine. You will still end up with a delicious chicken even if you salt it as close as possible to the time it goes into the oven.

2 hrs, 10 min

prep time + schmaltz time serves 8

2. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 450˚. 3. If you haven’t pre-salted the chicken, do so now on the inside— not the outside. Stuff chicken cavity with shallots, carrot, and thyme. Truss chicken. 4. Lift up skin from breasts of chicken and spoon 1 tablespoon of schmaltz onto breasts. You may need to cut a tiny slit where the skin meets the flesh. Massage the chicken breasts to spread schmaltz evenly. Flip chicken and do same with another tablespoon of schmaltz on other side. 5. Place chicken on a wire rack fitted into a roasting pan, breastside up. Squeeze about half the juice of the lemon over the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Flip chicken and do same on other side. Place bird in oven, breast-side down, and cook for 20 minutes.

6. Turn oven temperature down to 375˚. Pull bird from oven and flip it so breast side is facing up. (A good way to flip a chicken midcook is to carefully grab it using a pair of tongs in one hand and a spatula in your other hand to help turn the chicken without ripping the skin.) Return chicken to oven and cook for another 40 minutes, until skin is golden brown. An instant-read thermometer inserted into a meaty part of the leg (avoiding the bone) should register 165˚. 7. To make lentils: About 20 minutes into final cooking time of chicken, stud onion with cloves, place in a large saucepan, and add lentils, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down and simmer, uncovered, until substantially all water is absorbed and lentils are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. 8. To finish and serve: Remove chicken from oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. When lentils are done, remove onion, carrot, and celery. Scoop lentils into the center of a platter. It is entirely your choice whether to cut up the chicken or serve it magnificently whole. Top lentils with chicken and let chicken’s juices run into lentils.

Per serving: 505 Calories, 39 g Protein, 20 g Carbohydrates, 2 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 3 g Fiber, 29 g Total fat (8 g sat), 291 mg Sodium, HHHHH Vitamin B3 (niacin), B6, Phosphorus, HHH Folate, HH Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B12, Zinc, H Vitamin A, C, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium

Schmaltz

From Modern Kosher by Michael Aaron Gardiner ($40, Rizzoli, 2020)

1 hr

1 lb chicken skin and fat, sliced into O- to 1-inch pieces* 1 tsp salt 1. To make Schmaltz: In a large bowl, toss chicken skin with salt. Transfer to a cast-iron or nonreactive stainless steel skillet and set over medium-low heat—low enough to render fat but not crisp skin—shaking pan occasionally to avoid sticking. 2. Cover pan and cook, stirring frequently and breaking pieces apart with a spatula. You know you’re on the right track when, after about 15 minutes, the liquid fat starts to pool at bottom of pan. Continue cooking until skin just starts to brown and curl at the edges, 30 to 45 minutes. 3. Remove pan from heat and let cool, then pour through a strainer (reserving crispy chicken skin) into a container, cover, and transfer to a refrigerator. This golden liquid, the patiently rendered chicken fat, is schmaltz. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, though some of the aromatic and flavor nuances may start to disappear before that. When frozen, schmaltz keeps for up to 1 month. *You can easily save a pound of chicken skin and fat by reserving the skin and fat from chicken parts you cook in other meals and keeping it in the freezer. You can also buy chicken skin and fat from your local (kosher) butcher. prep time makes about 1 cup

Kale with Lemon and Parmesan

From To the Last Bite by Alexis deBoschnek ($32.50, Simon & Schuster, 2022) 2 garlic cloves, grated Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided ¼ tsp kosher salt 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves roughly torn Flaky sea salt ¼ c grated Parmesan

1. Add garlic, lemon zest, kosher salt, and oil to a large bowl. 2. Place kale leaves in the bowl and use your hands to massage kale for 1 to 2 minutes, until kale has reduced to half its size and no longer feels fibrous to the touch. 3. Drizzle the lemon juice over kale and toss until just combined. Sprinkle with sea salt. Top with grated Parmesan. This salad is best served within an hour of being massaged.

15 min

prep time serves 4

Per serving: 126 Calories, 6 g Protein, 7 g Carbohydrates, 2 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 2 g Fiber, 10 g Total fat (3 g sat), 191 mg Sodium, HHHH Vitamin C, K, HHH Vitamin A, H Vitamin B6, E, Calcium, Folate, Phosphorus