6 PASSOVER SHOWSTOPPERS

 

Below, you'll find our favorite Passover main dishes plus a bonus charoset recipe.

Spring has officially arrived, meaning that Passover is just around the corner. With less than two weeks away from the Holiday, it’s time to think about the menu and the recipes for you & your family to enjoy. We compiled some of our all-time favorite Passover main dishes that are simple, flavorful, and, no doubt here, look the festive part.

Not celebrating Passover? These dishes are so good, don’t miss out on making them.

What is Passover & Passover Traditions?

Education and cultural awareness and is at the core of New York Shuk, our community is a diverse group of people, and we recognize that not every member of our group is acquainted with the intricacies of Passover celebrations & food. If you want to learn a more about Passover, let us briefly introduce you to the Holiday.

Passover (also called Pesach in Hebrew) is a thousand year-old holiday with a very rich history, one of the holiest, most widely celebrated Holidays by the global Jewish community. In short, it commemorates the story from the Hebrew Bible’s books of Exodus in which the Jewish people got freed from slavery in Egypt. The Holiday celebration lasts for 7 days in Israel, or up for 8 days by a variety of other Jewish community.

Passover is quite strict when it comes to food traditions. The main thing is no leavened grain products (called chametz) are allowed. So, instead of bread, Matzah is eaten throughout the days of Passover celebration (read more about Matzah below)

Passover Seder

Seder is the foundational part of Passover, it starts off the celebration on the first two nights of the festival.

Seder meal is an sacred tradition, full of rituals and symbolism. A crucial component of the meal is a Seder Plate that’s either placed at the center of the table or gets passed around, each person takes a small amount from the plate along

Sous Chef Lily helping with Matzah Production

What’s on our Seder Plate?

Roasted Egg (beitzah)

Symbolism: The egg represents the renewal of life, as well as a pre-festival offering.

Matzah (unleavened cracker-like bread briefly baked for under 20 minutes)

Symbolism: The Jewish had to exit Egypt in a hurry, leaving their bread no chance to rise. So, they had to eat unleavened crackers to survive during that time. Now, Matzah is eaten to celebrate & honor the Jewish ancestors and their freedom.

Shank Bone (Zeroah) - Fun Fact: Vegeterian Jews sub shank with beets

Symbolism: Paschal sacrifice and, more specifically, the arm of God who reached out to save the Jews from enslavement.

Bitter Herb (Maror and Chazeret)

Symbolism: Bitter herbs reminds us the hardships of slavery in Egypt.

Vegetable (Karpas)

Symbolism: Vegetable that are dipped in salted water represents the tears that the jewsih shed during slavery.

Charoset

Symbolism: Charoset recalls the mortars used by the Jewish people to build the Egyptian pyramids.

Our Passover Menu

From our brisket recipe to non-gefilte fish dish, and more. These delicious mains will become your new favorite recipes for Passover & beyond.

 

Slow-Roasted Lamb With Harissa and Apricots

This recipe got a much-deserved spotlight in Bon Appétit April issue in 2021. For many years now, this dish has been a Holiday staple in our household. Pro-tip: put it in the oven the night before to wake up for an absolutely intoxicating aroma of meat & spices.

Braised Lamb-Stuffed Artichoke Hearts

Baharat works beautifully with lamb in any dish, and this recipe is no exception. While it might seem like an overly complicated process to stuff artichokes, it’s worth the effort! After braising, the meat and artichokes become so tender and aromatic, it’s a dish you won’t stop thinking about.

Don’t forget to garnish with herbs for an extra striking presentation.

Matbucha Halibut with Raising, Capers, and Olives

Are you searching for a seafood recipe for Passover that is NOT gefilte fish? Here it is! What we absolutely love about this unique Matbucha-based dish is that it takes barely any time to make, but never fails to wow everyone at the dinner table.

Pan Fried Lamb Loin Chops with Za’atar Peas and Mint

New season lamb with fragrant & herby Za’atar, vibrant, sweet peas and refreshing mint… the dish pretty much screams Spring and Passover is a springtime Holiday after all.

Slow Cooked Brisket, Apricots & Harissa

Brisket for Passover… groundbreaking? Probably not, but it sure is delicious and there are ways to up your traditional brisket fare. The combination of sweet/tart apricots, smokey/spicy Harissa and tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat will make you forget about any other brisket recipes you’ve made before.

Lamb Shank with Caramelized Onion & Tanzeya

Tanzeya, a Moroccan stew of dried fruits & nuts, pairs beautifully with meltingly tender lamb. We recommend making double the batch of Tanzeya, so you can also make our favorite Charoset truffles.

 

Charoset Truffles:

Elevate your charoset presentation by making little truffles:

250g  Tanzeya

½ Granny smith apple, grated

½ cup chopped walnuts

¼ tsp. Kafe Hawaij

2 tsp. Slivovitz (plum brandy)

-more chopped walnut for rolling

1.    Finely chop the Tanzeya and mix well with the rest of the ingredients.
2.    Refrigerate for about 1 hour, so it will be easier to roll.
3.    Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. (Shape the mixture into a little less then one-inch balls.) Then place the balls into a dish with the rest of the chopped walnuts. Move the charoset truffles in order to coat all around with the nuts. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.