Matzo Stuffed Roast Chicken For Passover Recipes

SPICED MATZO-STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
• Cook onion and bell pepper in 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
• While onion mixture cooks, rinse matzo farfel in a colander under warm running water until softened, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain, pressing gently to extract excess water.
• Remove onion mixture from heat and stir in farfel, pistachios, raisins, parsley, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Whisk together eggs and 3/4 cup broth, then stir into farfel mixture.
• Set aside 1 1/2 cups stuffing and transfer remainder to a generously oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish.
• Bake stuffing in dish in lower third of oven until set and golden, about 30 minutes.
• While stuffing bakes, stir together spices with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
• Insert a paring knife horizontally into middle of thicker end of each chicken breast half, stopping about 1 inch from opposite end, then open incision with your finger to create a 1-inch-wide pocket. Pack 3 tablespoons stuffing into each pocket. Pat chicken dry and add to spices, tossing to coat.
• Straddle a large flameproof roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining 3 tablespoons oil and heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear chicken, skin side down, until skin is deep golden, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over, then roast in upper third of oven until just cooked through, 16 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a platter and straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Stir in 3/4 cup broth. Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup broth and potato starch and whisk into sauce, then cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat (or use a fat separator). Season sauce with salt.

PASSOVER MATZO STUFFING

Steps:

• Crush matzah.
• Saute' onions in oil till transparent.
• Add carrots and apples and cook till the are softened.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Mix together and taste for seasoning.
• If too dry you can moisten with a bit more broth or water.
• Stuff turkey loosely.
• Any leftover stuffing can be cooked along-side turkey in foil or in a casserole dish.
• When basting turkey, add some of the juices to any stuffing cooked outside the bird.

PASSOVER BAKED CHICKEN AND STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large skillet, saute' celery, onions and nuts in fat (oil) until onions are tender but not brown.
• Add matzoh pieces and brown slightly.
• In a small bowl, combine beaten egg with seasoning and consomme, and add to the matzoh mixture. Cook, stirring slightly for 2-3 minutes.
• Spread the stuffing in the bottom of a large greased baking dish.
• Place the chicken on top of the stuffing and brush with melted fat (oil).
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place in oven and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is nicely browned and tender.
• Suggestion: You can stuff the chickens if you wish and adjust the roasting time accordingly. If you do that, you can make extra stuffing and bake it following the original instructions.

PASSOVER ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Mix broken matzos, chicken broth and apricots in medium bowl; set aside. Melt 3 Tbsp. of the margarine in large skillet. Add onion and celery; cook until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add matzo mixture; mix well. Cool. Add eggs, pecans and matzo meal; mix well.
• Stuff chicken cavities with matzo mixture; close cavities with skewers and string. Place, breast side up, on rack in baking pan; brush with remaining 1 Tbsp. margarine, melted. Sprinkle with pepper and thyme.
• Bake 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through (165°F), basting occasionally.

JEWISH CHICKEN SOUP WITH HORSERADISH DILL MATZO BALLS

Steps:

• The day before you want to serve the soup, put the whole chicken in your largest lidded pan. Add sufficient cold water to cover by at least 1cm. Bring the water to a boil over a high heat, skimming off (and discarding) any foam with a big metal spoon. While it's boiling, halve the onions through the roots (leaving the skins on - they will add colour). As soon as it starts to boil, add the onions and remaining soup ingredients plus 1 tbsp salt. Turn down the heat to a very low simmer, partially cover the pan and leave to cook gently for 1 hr 30 mins, until you see the meat on the chicken's legs start to come away from the bone. Depending on how large your pan is you may need to drain a little water off to fit the vegetables in, so it doesn't overflow.
• Use two forks to carefully remove the chicken from the pot, leaving the veg behind. Strip the meat from the bones, tearing some of the chicken into pieces to serve in the soup (save the rest to use in salads, sandwiches or pies). Return the bones and cartilage to the pot and simmer gently for a further 1 hr-1 hr 30 mins. Strain the soup into a large container or pan. If they are still in reasonable shape, lightly scrape the peel from the carrots and slice them to go in the finished soup - keep refrigerated until needed. Discard the other vegetables and the bones. Leave the soup to cool completely then refrigerate overnight.
• By morning, the fat will have risen to the surface - skim it off, pop it in a dish and refrigerate it. This is known as schmaltz, which you'll need to make the matzo balls. (You can use what's left over to make roast potatoes.) Taste the soup to see if it has enough flavour. It may need to be reduced a little by boiling it rapidly, then seasoning.
• To make the matzo balls, use a fork to beat the eggs with ½ tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir in the schmaltz, matzo meal, 2 tbsp chopped dill, horseradish and 60ml chicken soup. Fold into the egg mixture (it will be quite sloppy). Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins to hydrate the matzo meal and firm the mixture enough to handle. Scoop heaped tablespoons of the mixture and, with moistened hands, gently roll into balls. Put them on a plate or on a tray lined with baking parchment. You should end up with 12 matzo balls.
• Fill a wide pan with cold water and season with 1 tbsp salt. Set it over a high heat to boil, then transfer the matzo balls, one by one, gently into the water. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover with a lid (preferably a glass one) and leave for 30 mins. Do not be tempted to peek too soon. They are done when they have puffed up and when you cut into one, it should be light all the way through to the centre.
• If including fresh carrots in the soup, slice them into 2cm-thick discs and add them to the soup pot with the chicken pieces. Simmer for 10-15 mins to soften the carrot and heat the chicken. If using the carrot from the stock, add for the last 3 mins to heat up. When the matzo balls are ready, carefully remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon and put two (or three) in each bowl. Ladle over the hot chicken soup. Sprinkle with more chopped dill to serve.