Delicious after-seder Pesach dishes

Crunchy green salad with roasted baby potatoes and macon bits

The macon and potatoes can be prepared a few hours ahead and reheated, covered in a 180 degree oven. Bought balsamic dressing works well too.

Ingredients

1 pkt Crunchita lettuce

1 pkt rocket

1 pkt tender stem broccoli

1 pkt asparagus

1 kg baby potatoes (I like the red ones)

250g beef macon

Olive oil

Onion bits (Freshfellas)

1 bunch spring onion

Edible flowers (optional)

Method

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees centigrade, Cut the macon into strips. Toss with the olive oil, and roast on a baking sheet lined with baking paper for about 20 minutes or until crisp.

Boil the potatoes until they are al dente. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Press down on them with a fork until they squash slightly. Drizzle with olive oil and grind on a little salt. Roast in the 200 degree oven until they are crispy.

Place all the green vegetables on top of the lettuce and rocket. Top with the potatoes, macon, and onion bits. Garnish with chopped spring onion and edible flowers.

Salad dressing

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp mayonnaise

2 Tbsp water

1 clove garlic crushed

1 tsp Pesach mustard

1 tsp brown sugar

Whisk all the ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved. Brown sugar works better if you can find a kosher-for-Pesach variety.

OR

¾ cup balsamic vinegar

¾ cup olive oil

²/₃ Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

Black pepper

10ml soya sauce (optional)

Middle Eastern Scotch Fillet

The Chimichurri sauce can be kept in the fridge throughout Pesach and is in fact nicer made the day before as the flavours infuse. It’s gorgeous on a piece of grilled fish or even as a chicken-salad dressing during Chol Hamoed. I serve it in a separate bowl, allowing me to use the left-over steak in a salad the next day. Store the Chimichurri in a sterilised jar. The meat can be served at room temperature if there are load shedding constraints.

Ingredients for the steak

1 2kg Scotch fillet or side bolo (If using side bolo, ask the butcher to remove the middle sinew)

1 cup sunflower oil

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup of soya sauce (optional)

1 clove garlic crushed

1 tsp salt (if you are leaving out the soya, otherwise ½ tsp salt)

Black pepper

Method

Marinate the fillet for one to two days in the above marinade. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees centigrade, and cook the meat for 45 minutes a side uncovered. A meat thermometer is useful as cooking times vary according to the thickness of the meat. Once cooked, cover the meat for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Chimichurri sauce

¼ cup of watercress

¼ cup of parsley

½ cup of coriander

¼ cup of fresh oregano

1 small red onion

1 clove garlic

½ lemon roughly chopped and deseeded

1 tsp paprika

1 chilli deseeded (or seeded if you prefer)

200ml olive oil (or half olive, half grapeseed)

1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

If you have a food processor, you can process all ingredients, otherwise chop by hand and blend. Taste for seasoning.

Out of Egypt lamb

By the time you reach the main course, your guests are probably rather full. The fact that the lamb is cut into small portions allows for a taste of the meat without that overfed feeling. The addition of sweet potato makes the food preparation easier as all you really need is a fresh green salad.

Ingredients (serves six)

3 lamb shanks cut into three

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp ground coriander (use fresh if you need to)

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp turmeric

1 clove of garlic

2 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ cup oil

2 onions cut into wedges

3 sweet potatoes cubed (skin on is fine)

½ cup of tomato paste

1 tbsp lemon zest

4 cups of chicken stock

¼ cup of honey

Method

Toss the lamb in some sunflower oil and roast uncovered at 220 degrees centigrade for 30 minutes to seal the meat. Combine all the ingredients, and pour over the lamb. Roast covered at 160 degrees for three hours, basting every 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and coriander. You could also add some chopped dates for garnish if you wish. This dish can be made the day before and reheated.