Creating tantalising Pesach treats

Culinary creators Lauren Boolkin and Romi Rabinowitz give you recipes for dishes to either wow your guests with on seder nights or make for family and friends during Chol Hamoed. 

Date and orange spatchcocked chicken 

This recipe works just as well with chicken portions. Should you be unable to find Kosher for Pesach Silan (date syrup), I’ve included Sharon Lurie’s quick and easy homemade Silan. Make a lot! It’s fantastic in salad dressings and sauces that call for syrup. Silan is a healthy option. 

Ingredients 

• 1 small red onion 

• 1 clove garlic 

• Zest and juice of an orange 

• Zest and juice of a lemon 

• ¼ cup olive oil 

• ¼ cup date syrup (use honey if you don’t want to mission, but Silan is so much nicer) 

• 1 sprig rosemary, destalked 

• 1 teaspoon salt 

• Ground black pepper 

Method 

Process all the ingredients except the chicken and then pour the mixture over the chicken, which has been placed in a roasting dish breast-side down. Roast, covered, at 180°C. After an hour turn the oven up to 200°C, uncover the chicken and flip it over. Cook for another 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until golden. Serve garnished with orange slices and rosemary sprigs. 

Sharon Lurie’s homemade Silan 

Boil 500g dates in four cups of water for an hour and then liquidise. If you prefer you could boil the mixture for 90 minutes, strain it through a muslin cloth and then boil again until it is reduced by half. 

Custard roulade 

I was given this cake recipe by my neighbour and friend. It’s evolved into a roulade but can be baked in a round tin. It’s light and delicious. Make sure you stock up on the Osem pudding mixes as they sell out quickly. 

Ingredients 

• 8 eggs separated 

• 1 cup sugar divided! 

• ¾ cup potato flour 

• ½ cup oil 

• 2 tablespoons orange juice 

• 1 box Osem vanilla pudding (you will need another if you are using it for filling) 

Method 

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a large baking sheet, or two smaller ones, with baking paper. 

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually beat in ½ cup of sugar. In a separate bowl beat the yolks with the other ½ cup of sugar. Add in the remaining ingredients. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean. 

Flip the cake onto a clean dish cloth and roll up to cool. 

Fill with beaten non-dairy whip or another packet of Osem pudding mix. (Made up according to the instructions on the box.) Garnish with dusted icing sugar, figs, and berries. 

Softest Pesach roast 

Ingredients 

• 1 raisin rib 

• 2 large onions, sliced 

• 5 whole cloves garlic 

• 1 cup dry red wine 

• 3 tablespoons syrup 

• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce/tomato paste 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 

• 1 teaspoon cumin 

• 1 teaspoon salt 

• 1 teaspoon black pepper 

• 1 teaspoon paprika 

• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 

Instructions 

Spread the sliced onions and garlic cloves on the bottom of the slow cooker. 

Place the roast on top of the onions and garlic. 

Pour the red wine around the meat. 

In a small bowl, mix together the syrup, tomato sauce, and olive oil. Spread this mixture over the roast. 

Sprinkle the cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika evenly over the meat. 

Add the carrots around the roast. 

Cook on low overnight 

Perfect potato kugel 

Ingredients 

• 2½kg potatoes, peeled 

• 1 large onion 

• 5 eggs 

• ¾ cup oil 

• 1 tablespoon salt 

• Black pepper, to taste 

Instructions 

Preheat oven to 230°C 

Process the onion using the S blade of your food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl midway to make sure it is finely pureed. Switch to the grating blade and process the potatoes. No need to empty the bowl in between onion and potatoes. 

Working quickly, crack the eggs into a bowl large enough to hold all the batter. Add the oil and seasonings and mix well. Add the processed potatoes and onion and mix until uniform. Pour into a greased pan and bake uncovered for about two hours. 

Lemon and herb chicken breasts 

Ingredients 

• 1.2kg skinless, boneless chicken breast (I ask the butcher to make them thin) 

• 3 lemons 

• Handful Italian flat-leaf parsley 

• Handful basil 

• 2 cloves garlic 

• 125ml olive oil 

• Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Instructions 

Juice the lemons and with a hand blender, blend the herbs with the garlic, olive oil, a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, and half the lemon juice. Pour the marinade over the chicken and leave it to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. 

Once you are ready to cook the chicken, heat a griddle pan on the stove top. Sprinkle some salt over the chicken pieces and then grill them on the griddle pan for a few minutes on each side until they have a nice charred colour and the chicken is cooked all the way through. 

Once you have cooked all the chicken, pour the remaining lemon over the chicken and serve. 

• The go-to collection of South Africa home cook, Romi Rabinowitz’s tried-and-true favourite recipes is now available. You can find ‘Ever So Lovely – Family Favourites’ at Chabad House, Kollel Bookshop, Selwyn Segal, Takealot, and Exclusive Books.