Passover a la Mexicana at The James Beard House

Chefs Fany Gerson, Pati Jinich, & Rafa Zaga

Holidays are a unique opportunity to see how Jews celebrate all over the world, and the diverse foods that they eat. This year, The Jewish Food Society’s Passover seder, which takes place Tuesday, April 11 at the James Beard House in New York City, is all about Mexico. Chefs Fany Gerson (La New Yorkina), Rafa Zaga (Marea) and Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table) dug into their family archives for the recipes they will be cooking, which are all sourced from their grandmothers. 

At first glance, the menu looks like Passover’s greatest hits—gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, brisket. But each dish is a singular product of the Jewish diaspora. Gerson’s matzo ball soup, brightened with jalapeño peppers, is a reflection of her Eastern European meets Mexico City heritage. (A handful of lucky students got a preview at Fany Gerson’s Mexican Seder cooking class earlier this week, hosted by the JFS and Haven’s Kitchen.) Pati Jinich’s gefilte fish, a poached fish cake in a spicy tomato sauce, aka a la Veracruzana, is edible evidence of her family’s journey from Poland to the port city of Veracruz. And Rafa Zaga’s rice-stuffed lamb with tamarind is influenced by his Syrian grandmother, whose cooking changed forever when she began making Middle Eastern dishes using Mexican ingredients.

Though Tuesday’s seder is sold out, we’re happy to share several of the chefs’ family recipes and the stories of the women who inspired them below, including Mexican gefilte fish and matzo ball soup, and Rafa’s grandmother’s unique sweet-tart-savory haroset. It’s not too late to add one of them to your seder table, if not this year, then next. 

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Gefilte Fish a la Veracruzana

Photo by Dave Katz

For the fish patties:
1 pound red snapper fillets, skinned and deboned
1 pound flounder fillets, skinned and deboned
½ white onion, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 eggs
½ cup matzo meal
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
½ cup white onion, chopped
1  28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups fish broth or water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos, sliced
8 pepperoncini peppers in vinegar brine
2 tablespoons capers

Preparation

1. Prepare the fish patty mixture: Rinse the red snapper and flounder fillets under cool water. Slice into one inch pieces and place in food processor. Pulse for 5-10 seconds until fish is finely chopped but hasn’t turned into a paste.

2. Turn fish mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add onion, carrots, eggs, matzo meal, salt and white pepper into the same bowl of the food processor. Process until smooth. Add to fish mixture and combine thoroughly.

3. Prepare the sauce: Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and let cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir, and let thicken for about 6 minutes. Then, add 3 cups broth or water, 2 tablespoons ketchup, salt and white pepper. Give it a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Continue to let sauce simmer while you roll the gefilte fish patties.

5. Make the patties: Place a small bowl of lukewarm water to the side of the simmering tomato broth. Wet your hands as necessary, so the fish mixture does not stick to your hands. Shape each patty into an oval that is 3” long, 2” wide and 1” high. Gently slide each completed patty into the simmering broth. Raise the heat to medium if necessary to keep a steady simmer.

6. Once you finish making the patties, cover the pot and lower heat. Let simmer, covered for 25 minutes.

7. Add the manzanilla olives, pepperoncini peppers and capers. Give it a gentle stir and simmer uncovered for 20 more minutes, until the gefilte fish is cooked through and the broth has thickened. Serve hot.
    

Matzoh Ball Soup a la Mexicana

Ingredients

For the stock:
1 whole chicken, approximately 5 to 6 pounds
1 ½ medium white onions, peeled and quartered
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 serrano chile, sliced from tip to stem end with seeds
2 bay leaves
6 stems cilantro
1 leek, split lengthwise and sliced
3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon dried thyme
5 to 6 white peppercorns
4 quarts water
sea salt to taste

For the matzoh balls:
1 ¼  cups matzoh meal
2 ½  teaspoons kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
½  teaspoon baking powder
½  teaspoon baking soda
5 large eggs, 3 separated
¼  cup schmaltz, bone marrow or vegetable oil
¼  cup minced onion
1 tablespoon vegetable

For serving:
1 small one onion, finely chopped
2 serrano or 1 jalapeño chile, finely chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 to 2 avocados, diced
3 to 4 limes, cut in wedges

Preparation

For the stock:

1. Place all of the ingredients, except salt, into a large stock pot with enough water to cover chicken, and bring to a boil. 

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, skim off any foam, add salt, and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 to 50 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked (tender and falling off the bone).

3. Carefully remove the chicken from the broth and transfer to a bowl. Continue cooking the broth at a soft boil for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours to extract as much flavor as possible. Turn off the heat and let cool.

4. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred the chicken and reserve for later.

5. Strain broth through a fine sieve into a separate container, discarding solids.

For the matzoh balls:

1. In a large bowl, combine the matzoh meal, salt, pepper, baking powder and baking soda.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the 2 whole eggs with the 3 yolks, schmaltz and onion. 

3. In a separate bowl, beat the 3 egg whites by hand or with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form. 

4. Stir the schmaltz mixture into the dry ingredients, then stir in one-third of the beaten egg whites until incorporated. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain.

5. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the batter and refrigerate for about 20 minutes or overnight, until firm.

To assemble & serve:

1. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon of water. Scoop 1-tablespoon-size mound of the matzoh batter onto the baking sheet. Using the oil-and-water mixture to keep your hands moist, roll each scoop of batter into a ball, handling them as gently as possible.

2. Return the chicken stock to a clean pot and heat to a simmer. Lower the matzoh balls as gently as possible into the broth and cook over medium heat, turning the matzoh balls a few times, until they are plump and cooked through, about 25 minutes. 

3. Stir the shredded chicken into the soup and cook just until the meat is warmed through, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, with garnishes on the side for people to add as preferred.

Boca Negra (Flourless Spiced Chocolate Cake with Sweet Tomatillo Sauce)

Photo by Dave Katz

Makes: 8 Servings
Total Time: 2 hours 

Ingredients
For the cake:
1 ½ sticks (6 ounces) + 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
6 medium dried chipotle chiles 
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice (preferably fresh)
10 ounces high quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 eggs
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch or almond flour
1 pinch salt

For the tomatillo sauce:
1-pound small fresh tomatillos, husk-removed and coarsely chopped
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
8 ounces piloncillo 
⅓ cup water
4 tablespoons sugar
1 small cinnamon stick

Preparation 
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with 1 teaspoon of butter (make sure it’s not a springform pan) and dust about 1 tablespoon of sugar all around, knocking out the excess.

2. Make the tomatillo paste: Discard the stems, seeds and veins of the chiles and toast them flat in a hot skillet for a couple of minutes over medium heat until they are fragrant, flipping them so they do not burn. Soak them in very hot water until they are softened, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain but reserve the liquid and grind in a blender or food processor adding a bit of the water as needed until you get a smooth paste. Press through a sieve if you the paste is not completely smooth. You will only need 1½ tablespoons of the paste, but you can freeze the rest or use it for something else.

3. Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Mix the remaining 1 cup of sugar and orange juice in a small pot over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and pour the sugar mixture over the chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate is melted (you can use a whisk but don't beat it, simply stir). Add the remaining 6 ounces of butter little by little into the chocolate mixture and once the butter is melted whisk in the eggs one by one, stirring between each addition. Add the chipotle paste, cornstarch (or almond flour or matzo meal if using) and salt and stir until the mixture is smooth and combined.

4. Pour cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Place a large and deep baking dish into the oven (large enough to fit the cake pan). Place the filled cake pan into the center of the baking dish and gently pour water into the baking dish (around the cake pan) until it reaches about half-way up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until a thin crusty layer forms on top and the cake is set, about 45 minutes. 

5. Meanwhile make the tomatillo sauce: Place the tomatillos into a medium pot. Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean and place the scraped beans and vanilla pod into the pot. Add the piloncillo , ⅓  cup of water, 4 tablespoons of sugar 1 small cinnamon stick into the pot. Place over medium heat, and stir occasionally until the tomatillos are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod and canela stick and puree the mixture into a chunky and uniform sauce. Cool and chill completely before use. 

6. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes. Place a large plate over the cake pan and carefully unmold the cake onto the pan by flipping it. You can also chill the cake in the refrigerator  for 10 minutes. When you are ready to unmold, dip a small, sharp knife in hot water, dry it quickly and run it around the edges of the cake. Dip the bottom of the cake pan in very hot water for about three minutes and unmold onto a plate. Serve room temperature. 

7. Serve the cake at room temperature. To slice the cake use a sharp knife that has been dipped into hot water and dried between each slice to ensure each piece is smooth. Serve each slide with a dollop of tomatillo sauce. 

Make Ahead: You can make the tomatillo sauce up to one week in advance and add a bit of water if it seems thick like marmalade (it should definitely be thick but pourable).

Recipe adapted from Fany Gerson’s “My Sweet Mexico” Cookbook.

Mexican Charoset

Photo by Dave Katz

Ingredients
1 cup honey
1 shallot, minced
3 celery stalks, minced
2 honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced
1 asian pear, diced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped (about 2 sprigs)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, separated (about 3 medium oranges)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
fresh horseradish, grated

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, gently warm the honey until it begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

2. Add shallots and celery, stirring for one minute until well incorporated. Add vinegar and stir to combine.

3. Add apples and pears and reduce heat to very low stirring constantly and making sure the mixture does not get too hot. During this time, the fruit will release water. Continue to stir until the water is completely reduced/evaporated about 45-60 minutes. It is important to watch closely and stir often to keep the sugar from burning.

4. When the water has completely disappeared and the mixture is dark and caramelized, add ¾ cup of orange juice and reduce again, mixing and smashing the fruit, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ¼ cup orange juice, chopped oregano and 1 tablespoon of fresh horseradish.

6. Transfer to small serving bowl. Garnish with 1 teaspoon fresh horseradish. Serve immediately.