Simple seder: a beautiful dinner heralds the arrival of spring - Food and Entertaining

Sunset, April, 2004 by Charity Ferreira

One of the things that makes a Passover celebration different from all other nights is that it is a time when family, friends, and tradition come together at the table. Whether the seder menu is made up of recipes handed down through generations or innovative twists on family favorites, sharing food and ritual with loved ones is a constant.

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Our updated Passover dinner incorporates traditional flavors in a fresh, gracious seasonal dinner. A salad of endive and smoked salmon in a tangy horseradish dressing begins the meal, followed by a roast chicken with lemon, paprika, and sage as the centerpiece. Roasted asparagus with orange peel and cumin is an elegant side dish. Apples and strawberries baked with a crumbly almond-macaroon topping make a simple, tart-sweet dessert. Best of all, this relaxed menu has all of the elements that busy cooks require every night of the year, with several components that can be made ahead of time.

Chopped Endive Salad with Smoked Salmon

PREP TIME: About 20 minutes

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings

    8 ounces each red and white Belgian endive (or all one color),
      rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
    1 tablespoon olive oil
  3/4 to 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
    4 ounces hot-smoked salmon, skin removed, flaked or broken into
      pieces
    2 tablespoons drained capers
    2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
      Salt

1. Trim and discard ends from endive and slice heads crosswise on the diagonal.

2. In a large bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, horseradish to taste, mustard, and pepper.

3. Add endive, salmon, and capers to bowl and mix to coat. Press eggs through the large holes of a grater, or chop.

4. Spoon salad onto plates; top with eggs. Add salt to taste.

Per serving: 73 cal., 56% (41 cal.) from fat; 8.4 g protein; 4.5 g fat (1.1 g sat.); 3.5 g carbo (1.3 g fiber); 269 mg sodium; 61 mg chol.

Roasted Asparagus with Orange and Cumin

PREP AND COOK TIME: 20 minutes

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings

2 pounds asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon thin strips orange peel
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  Salt and pepper

1. Rinse asparagus; trim off stem ends. In a 12- by 17-inch baking pan, mix asparagus with olive oil, orange peel, and cumin. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

2. Bake in a 450[degrees] oven until asparagus is tender when pierced, 10 to 12 minutes. Arrange on platter.

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Per serving: 37 cal., 46% (17 cal.) from fat; 2.8 g protein; 1.9 g fat (0.3 g sat.); 3.6 g carbo (0.9 g fiber); 2.3 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Roast Lemon Chicken with Shallots and Potatoes

PREP AND COOK TIME: 2 to 2 1/2 hours

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings

NOTES: Large roasting chickens tend to have more flavor than smaller "fryers"; many meat departments will order them. Kosher chickens larger than 4 pounds can be difficult to find. You can order them online (see "Seder Countdown," page 104), or you can roast two 3- to 3 1/2-pound chickens side by side in a large roasting pan (in step 3, divide half the spice mixture evenly between the two chickens).

    1 chicken (6 to 7 lb.)
    2 lemons (12 oz. total), rinsed
  1/2 cup lightly packed fresh sage leaves
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    2 teaspoons paprika
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  1/2 teaspoon pepper
    4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 in. wide; halve or quarter if
      larger), scrubbed
    1 pound shallots (each about 1 1/2 in. wide), peeled

1. Remove and discard giblets and lumps of fat from chicken. Rinse bird inside and out; pat dry. If desired, fold wing tips under first joint and tie drumstick ends together. Set breast side up on a V-shaped rack in an 11- by 17-inch roasting pan. Squeeze juice from half of 1 lemon, reserving remaining half. Thinly slice other lemon.

2. Starting at the neck, gently ease your fingers under chicken skin to loosen it over breast. Push 4 to 6 lemon slices and 6 to 8 sage leaves under skin. Place remaining lemon slices, reserved lemon half, and remaining sage leaves in body cavity.

3. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub about half this mixture evenly over chicken.

4. In a bowl, mix potatoes and shallots with remaining paprika mixture until well combined. Distribute vegetables around chicken in pan.

5. Roast in a 425[degrees] oven, stirring vegetables after about 45 minutes (add 1/4 cup water if pan begins to scorch), until potatoes are tender when pierced and a thermometer reaches 170[degrees] when inserted through the thickest part of breast to the bone and 180[degrees] when inserted through thickest part of thigh at joint, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. (If chicken is done before potatoes, return pan with vegetables to oven and continue to cook while chicken rests in step 6.)

6. With a carving fork, lift bird and tilt to drain juices into pan. Set chicken on a rimmed platter. Arrange vegetables around chicken. Let rest in a warm place about 15 minutes. Carve chicken and serve.