Preserving a Five-Century Long Link to Andalusia at Passover and Beyond
Shared by Michel Thouati
Recipe Roots: Andalusia, Spain > Tétouan, Morocco > Gibraltar > Oran, Algeria > Paris > Arzew, Algeria > Nice, France > Berkeley, CA
Born in Oran, Algeria and raised on French naval bases around the world, Michel Thouati spent long stretches of his childhood living far away from his extended family. In a navy family, he explains, “You live away most of the year and then you go spend lots of time with them when you can.” For Michel, that meant weeks-long visits, often in the summer, with his family in Nice along France’s coast.
Michel's mother Danielle, grandfather Robert, great grandmother Luna, and grandmother Ninette in Algeria in 1958.
The family also made the journey to France for Passover when they could, to celebrate with Michel’s maternal grandparents Laure Orovida Benoliel and Robert Josue Benoliel, and countless other relatives. The cooking leading up to the holiday took days with different aunts and uncles preparing dishes they were known for. And, at Seder, “The table was two or three tables, because there were so many dishes,” says Michel.
“They had so many recipes it was unbelievable,” he adds. The menu changed year to year, featuring generations-old Sephardic recipes. Lamb was always part of the meal, often served with peas, artichoke hearts, lemon, and honey. Vegetables and fruit were also integral to the meal. To start there might be an orange salad with salt-cured black olives, and a green salad of shaved fennel with garlic and lemon served as an intermezzo just before tea with mint and pine nuts. To accompany the meal, there was always matzo. “In my grandmother's time, we used thick, round matzo… made with orange water,” adds Michel. “Just looking at the table was wonderful.”
Michel’s father Maurice in his Naval uniform in Mers El Kebir French naval base in Algeria in the 1950s.
The rich and broad recipe repertoire in Michel’s family is unique to a group of Sephardic Jews who have resided in the western Mediterranean for centuries. During the Inquisition, part of Michel’s family, he says, “went to the closest place they could go, which was Tétouan,” a city along Morocco’s northern coast. Over the coming centuries they would jump back and forth between the southern tip of western Europe and the northwestern edge of Africa.
In the 1700s, they went to Gibraltar, and then to Oran, along Algeria’s coast in the late 1800s and then to France. Often, the moves were driven by antisemitism. In the 20th century, Michel explains, his grandparents left France in 1941 “and barely escaped with their lives by leaving all their possessions behind. Then, in 1961 they left Algeria in the same manner.” Despite the movement, he says, his family “always remained within a Judeo Spanish community that kept the closest linkages,” to the traditions, customs, and recipes that pre-date the Inquisition.
Recipes in Michel’s family are more than the dishes that appear on the table; they are stories. “My great-grandmother would sometimes give ‘instructions’ or tell cooking stories to my grandmother and great-uncles and -aunts at cooking time, and they would all talk about how the two previous generations used to cook,” Michel says. “So I was hearing cooking gossip from the 1850s or even earlier.”
Michel’s parents Maurice and Danielle on the coast of Algeria in 1959.
Michel started to learn the family recipes when he was 8- or 9-years-old and visiting his grandparents, who he says were like a second set of parents to him. His grandmother Laure showed him techniques for making sofrito, how to prepare the sabbath stew dafina, and couscous.
His culinary education continued in his early 20s. While Michel was pursuing graduate studies in the U.S., his grandfather Robert passed away. Living on a small budget, Michel hadn’t returned home to France in a long time and “I felt horribly guilty,” he says. “I swore that I would always see my grandmother at least once a year.” During his annual pilgrimage to see her, they would cook together everyday — it was a way for them to spend time together. Without planning it, it was also a way for Michel to absorb the family traditions.
As a parent today, Michel is documenting those recipes for his children. He already has 100 written down and is working on 150 more. “I’m hoping that if I live long enough, I’ll probably end up with 350 or 400 recipes and that they will be really good examples to my children of how my family used to cook,” he says.
At Passover in the Bay Area where he now lives, Michel continues to make the elaborate family table, though scaled down for a family of four. He explains: “My goal is that my sons keep the link open to traditions of the past generations…. I don't want to be the one who will let the family traditions die.”
Orange and Olive Salad
Rojitos Fritos de Pessah (Fish Escabeche)
Carrilleras Asadas en Lancha de Matsa (Braised Beef Cheeks)
Asada de Cordero con Alcachofas en Miel (Braised Lamb Shoulder with Peas and Artichokes)
Lettuce and Fennel Salad
Mint Tea with Pine Nuts, Honey and Lemon
Guizadas de Pessah (Almond Macaroons)
Non-Dairy Ice Cream Topped with Roasted Beets and Mint
Orange and Olive Salad
Makes: 6 servings
Total Time: 15 minutes active + 1 hour inactive
Ingredients
4 navel oranges or any other orange, cut into segments (peel and pith removed)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 pinch ground coriander
1 pinch ground Ceylan cinnamon or any other cinnamon
1 cup salt cured black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish
Preparation
1. Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Serve cold or at room temperature and garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro.
Rojitos Fritos de Pessah (Fish Escabeche)
Makes: 6-8 servings
Total Time: 1 hour active + 8 hours inactive
Ingredients
For the fish and coating:
1 cup matzo cake meal
1 ½ cups raw almonds, finely ground
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tablespoon granulated garlic
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 small red snapper fish, filleted (or 12-15 red mullet fish, filleted), sliced diagonally to pieces that are about 1/6" thin and 3"x1.5" in size
½ tablespoon ground green peppercorns
2 eggs
¼ cup olive oil
For the escabeche and garnish:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, finely julienned
2 medium carrots, finely julienned
1 small red pepper, finely julienned
1 small yellow pepper, finely julienned
½ cup white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
½ teaspoon oregano leaves (fresh or dry), finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh lemon balm or lemon thyme (optional), finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon lavender buds, finely ground
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoons honey
Preparation
1. Place the matzo cake meal, ground almonds, chopped garlic, granulated garlic and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Mix well until combined. Place this mixture onto a flat plate for dredging the fish. Set aside.
2. Season the fish pieces with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ tablespoon of ground green pepper.
3. Beat the eggs in a wide bowl and set aside.
4. Place ¼ cup of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium to medium high heat.
5. Dredge and fry the fish: In sequence, dip each fish slice into the beaten eggs until fully coated and shake off any excess, then place the fish into the dredging mixture with the matzo cake meal and almonds and coat it on all sides, shake off any excess. Place the fish into the sizzling oil and quickly fry the fish for about 1 ½ minutes per side until the fish is golden brown and lightly cooked on the inside. Transfer the fried fish onto a paper towel lined plate. Continue frying the rest of the fish in batches. Let the fish cool to room temperature and transfer into a large container.
6. Make the escabeche: Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add the onion into the pan and saute for 3 minutes until starting to soften. Add the carrots and saute for 1 minute, then add the red and yellow peppers and saute for 3 more minutes mixing often, until all the vegetables are softened. Add the vinegar and simmer for 1 minute. Add the capers, fennel, oregano, lemon balm or lemon thyme, thyme, allspice, lavender, cardamom and honey and lower the temperature to medium heat. Cook the mixture for 3 minutes, stirring often, until it reduces by ¼. Taste and adjust the acidity if needed (the mixture should taste acidic). Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let the mixture sit until it is lukewarm. Pour the mixture over the fish in the container and cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
7. To serve: transfer the fish escabeche from the refrigerator and serve at room temperature.
Carrilleras Asadas en Lancha de Matsa (Braised Beef Cheeks)
Makes: 6 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes active + 6 hours inactive
Ingredients
2 ½ pounds beef cheeks, cut in 3-4"x1" strips that are about 1/2" thick
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground green peppercorns
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon ground ceylon cinnamon or any cinnamon
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped into a medium dice
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Place the beef cheek slices in one layer into a baking tray or pan. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of oil on both sides of the meat. Season the meat with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, mace, cinnamon and granulated garlic on both sides of the meat. Sprinkle the onions around the meat in the tray. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 6 hours, until the meat is cooked through, tender and falls apart.
3. Transfer the beef onto a plate and shred the beef into medium sized pieces with a fork and place it into a mixing bowl. Add the onions and juices from the baking pan into the bowl. Mix the shredded beef with the onions and juices in the bowl.
4. Serve the beef hot and garnish with a few fresh sprigs of cilantro. Serve with matzo and fig jam.
Asada de Cordero con Alcachofas en Miel (Braised Lamb Shoulder with Peas and Artichokes)
Michel had this dish many times when he was a child but as he moved away, it faded from his life. In his early 30s, he tried to reproduce the flavor he remembered, but it wasn’t easy. It took 15 years of experimenting before he matched the taste of the family recipe.
Makes: 8 servings
Total Time: 1 hour active + 7 hours inactive
Ingredients
For the lamb:
3 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 pounds bone in lamb shoulder
2 large yellow onions, chopped into a medium dice
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh or dry thyme leaves
48-60 ounces young sweet peas (frozen or canned), defrosted if frozen
28 ounces frozen artichoke bottoms, defrosted and cut into quarters crosswise
2 tablespoons honey
Juice and zest of one lemon
For serving:
For the spice mix:
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon or regular cinnamon
For the chopped olives:
40 salt cured black olives, pitted, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon dried rosemary
For the confit red onions in vinegar:
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons light brown/turbinado sugar
2 medium red onions, chopped into a medium dice
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large star anise
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 jar of pomegranate jam
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Mix the cumin, 3 teaspoons of salt, and garlic in a small bowl and rub this mixture all over the lamb shoulder.
3. Place a 10 quart dutch oven with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb shoulder and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil and add the chopped onions.Saute until the onions are golden brown. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes until softened. Add the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and thyme and stir. Add the lamb back into the pot and add 4 tablespoons of water. Place a lid on the pot and bring the liquid to a simmer. Transfer the pot into the oven and cook for 5 hours.
4. Take the pot out of the oven and stir very gently. Add the peas, artichoke bottoms, honey, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix very gently. Cover with the lid and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour until the vegetables are cooked through and the lamb is extremely tender. If there is too much juice/sauce in the pot, transfer the lamb onto a plate. Increase the oven to 450 degrees and broil the juices uncovered for 10 minutes until reduced.
5. Make the spice mix: Mix the cumin, garlic powder, salt, lemon zest and cinnamon in a small bowl.
6. Make the chopped olives: Mix the chopped olives with oil, thyme, oregano and rosemary in a bowl until combined well.
7. Make the confit red onion in vinegar: Heat the olive oil in a 12" frying pan over medium heat. Add the sugar into the oil and stir nonstop for about 7 minutes, until it becomes amber colored. Add the onions in 3 equal batches, mixing after each addition. Add the black pepper and star anise and saute until the onions are golden brown and tender. Add the vinegar and saute for 3 more minutes. Lower the heat to medium low and cook the mixture down until the flavors have nicely mellowed, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the star anise, let cool for 15 minutes and serve warm.
8. To serve, plate the vegetables that have been cooking with the lamb on the bottom of a serving platter. Gently place the cooked lamb on top. Pour the cooking juices over the lamb and vegetables. Serve hot. Serve the spice mix, chopped olives, confit red onions and pomegranate jam on the side and add these topping onto each individual portion of the lamb.
Lettuce and Fennel Salad
Makes: 6 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 head romaine lettuce, cut in 1" pieces
¼ red onion, finely sliced
2-3 fennel bulbs, finely sliced lengthwise
Chopped fennel fronds (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon honey
½ lemon, juiced
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 piece matzo shemura
Preparation
1. Add all the ingredients except the matzo into a mixing bowl. Toss the salad to distribute everything evenly and to coat the ingredients with dressing.
2. To serve: break the matzo into small pieces over the salad.
Mint Tea with Pine Nuts, Honey and Lemon
Makes: 8 servings
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons gunpowder tea
1 bunch fresh mint or spearmint
Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
8 teaspoons whole pine nuts
1 cup honey
Juice of 1 lemon
Preparation
1. Place the gunpowder tea and cardamom seeds in a tea ball. Add the tea ball into a teapot with 2 pints of boiling hot water. Steep for 3 minutes, make sure not to steep the tea for too long. Remove the tea ball.
2. Bruise the mint with the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside.
3. Set 8 glass tea cups on the table. Put 2 tablespoons of honey into each glass. Add 3 large mint sprigs and 1 teaspoon of pine nuts into each glass. Pour the tea into each glass. Add about ½ teaspoon of lemon juice into each glass.
4. Serve hot.
Guizadas de Pessah (Almond Macaroons)
Makes: 8 servings
Total time: 2 hours
Ingredients
2 cups whole raw almonds
⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon orange extract
Zest of ½ orange
Egg whites from 2 large eggs
How to
1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
2. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Grease another large baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. Place the whole almonds onto the baking sheet with aluminum foil and roast the almonds in the oven. Toss the almonds every 5 minutes until they are fragrant and lightly roasted, about 15 minutes total. Set aside to cool.
4. Once the toasted almonds have cooled, place them into a food processor and finely grind the almonds.
5. Place the ground almonds into a mixing bowl and add the granulated sugar, turbinado sugar, egg whites, orange and almond extracts, and orange zest and mix well until the ingredients combine and form a dough like consistency. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Make sure the rack is positioned in the middle of the oven.
7. Shape the macaroons: scoop 1 heaping teaspoon of the macaroon dough, roll it onto a ball and shape it into a 1 ½ inch wide macaroon. Place the shaped macaroon onto the greased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Gently press a few sliced almonds onto the top of each macaroon. Sprinkle the macaroons with a 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar.
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the macaroons are golden brown and cooked through and a bit tender in the center.
9. Transfer the baking sheet from the oven and after 5 minutes, gently transfer the macaroons onto a tray using a spatula. Let them cool to room temperature and serve.
Non-Dairy Ice Cream Topped with Roasted Beets and Mint
Makes: 6 servings
Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 beets, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch thick slices crosswise
¼ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon or regular cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Juice of 1 lemon (if needed)
Leaves from ½ bunch fresh mint
2 pints non-dairy vanilla ice cream
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 2 baking pans with 1 tablespoon of olive oil per pan.
2. Place the beet slices in one layer onto the baking pans. Sprinkle the mace, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, salt and lemon zest over the beets. Transfer the baking pans into the oven and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the beets are cooked through and start to just crisp on the edges. Check on the beets every once in a while and sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice or water on the beets if you feel they are getting too crispy. Transfer the beets out of the oven. Increase the oven’s heat to broil (500 degrees F). Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar over the beets and broil for 5 minutes or until the sugar is caramelized on the beets.
3. Transfer the beets out of the oven and onto a cutting board. Cut the beets into thin slivers that are 2 inches long.
4. Bruise the mint leaves with the back of a wooden spoon. Roughly chop the larger leaves.
5. To serve, place 1 scoop of ice cream in small individual bowls. Sprinkle the icecream with the warm beets and mint leaves. Serve immediately.
