Passover, like other Jewish holidays, is steeped in tradition, especially when it comes to food. When most of us think of a traditional Passover meal, our menu would include gefilte fish, matzah ball soup, brisket and kugel. That is the classic American version of the Ashkenazi seder meal. However, there are over 7 million Jews in the United States and depending on where our families came from—whether from one of the countries of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa or South America—we are all immigrants, and our Passover seder menus reflect those histories and cultures.
Take gefilte fish, for example, a traditionally Ashkenazi dish. However, depending on where your family came from in Europe, the kind of gefilte fish your family eats will vary. You might make your fish from either lake fish or salt-water fish. You might season it simply with salt and pepper, or add sugar like my Polish mother did, and cook it in broth made from fish bones and heads.
But if your family came from Russia, that version of gefilte fish might be cooked in a beet broth, which adds sweetness and color. If your family settled in Mexico, your gefilte fish would cooked a la Veracruzana (poached in a Mexican red sauce with tomatoes, olives and capers).
If, as the result of expulsion from Spain, your family settled in say, France or Morocco, you might not have gefilte fish at all. Rather, your fish would be served as filets, whole or cut into serving sized pieces, fried or sauteed, and served covered or accompanied with a variety of sauces, such as an escabeche sauce or a lemon olive oil sauce or a tomato-based sauce. That fish is served either cold or at room temperature and precedes the entrée.
In North African Jewish communities, the seder fish dish is called Chraime. Spicy Sephardi fish fillets are cooked slowly in a deliciously seasoned garlic tomato sauce with preserved lemon. Spices such as cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and bay leaf give this dish a delightful complexity.
Fish is a symbol of fertility and abundance in Judaism, regardless of how it is prepared. That’s why we traditionally serve fish on Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah and Passover. It matters not what type of fish you serve, only that the fish be bone-free, since it is forbidden to remove bones on these holidays. So be sure to ask your fishmonger to remove all of the bones.
I recently learned about a unique community of about 50,000 Jews in the United States, most of whom live in the Rego Park and Forest Hills areas of Queens, N.Y. They are Bukharian Jews from Central Asia who lived in a region of Uzbekastan called Bukhara. Their origins date back to the 4th century C.E. Many Bukharians moved to Israel and the United States in the 1970s following the fall of the Soviet Union.
In addition to their own language, Judeo-Tajik (a Judeo-Persian language), many Bukharians also speak Uzbek, Russian and Hebrew. Their traditional dishes reflect both Central Asian, Sephardic and Russian cuisine. In Queens, this vibrant and tradition-rich community includes Bukharian kosher restaurants, a museum, a community center, schools and numerous synagogues.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Irina Daniel, bookkeeper for the Bukharian Jewish Community Center. When I told her about my Passover column focusing on the seder fish dish, she introduced me to her mother-in-law, Nina Midahon, who immigrated to the United States 47 years ago from Bukhara. I called Nina and she was delighted to explain how she makes her Bukharian seder fish dish.
“I use two whole carp,” she told me. “I filet the fish, and the heads go into a big pot of water and cook until they break down. I strain the liquid and, once cool, I add a whole head of finely minced fresh garlic and a lot of chopped fresh cilantro.
“Meanwhile,” she continued, “I cut up and deep-fry pieces of the boned carp in avocado oil until they are crisp and then transfer them to a large glass dish. Once the garlic-cilantro liquid has come to room temperature, I pour it over the fried fish, cover it, and put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.”
To serve the fish, Nina divides the fillets between plates and tops each piece of fish with some of the sauce, which has become jellied. The fish is always served at cool room temperature prior to the main course.
“I want my children and grandchildren to remember our traditions,” she told me. “In Bukhara, we covered our beautiful carpets with a tablecloth, and everyone sat on the floor against a wall surrounded by pillows. That is how we had our seder. We now all sit at a table because the younger generation is not interested in retaining that tradition!”
To learn more about the rich variety of our Jewish culinary seder traditions, I recommend the following books:
• “Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen,” by Leah Koenig
• “The Jewish Holiday Table,” by Naama Shefi & the Jewish Food Society
• “The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York,” by Claudia Roden
• “Little Book of Jewish Feasts,” by Leah Koenig.
• “The World of Jewish Cooking,” by Gil Marks
The recipes included here are easy to follow, and both are delicious. I’m hoping that a bit of my family’s Sephardic background might be rekindled by one of these delicious Sephardic fish dishes.
A Yom Tov to all!
Chraime (Spicy Sephardi Fish Fillets)
Recipe adapted from Little Book of Jewish Feasts, by Leah Koenig. Recipe can easily be doubled.
Click here for printable version
Ingredients
¼ c. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp. sweet paprika
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1, 14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes
½ c. water
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. minced preserved lemon peel (available at Whole Foods and Global Foods)
1 tsp. sugar
1 bay leaf
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless halibut or red snapper fillets, 4-6 oz. ea.
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, coarsely chopped for garnish
Fresh lemon wedges, for garnish
Optional: cooked quinoa for serving
Directions
Heat oil in a large wide pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minute. Add garlic, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for the fish.
Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, nestle fish pieces in the sauce, and cover pan. Simmer until the fish is cooked, about 18-20 minutes.
Gently transfer fish fillets to a serving platter. Turn heat on under sauce and cook for 3-5 minutes until sauce has thickened. Spoon fish over fish and garnish with cilantro or parsley.
Fish can be served warm or can be refrigerated overnight (up to 2 days) and served at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
Rojitos Fritos de Pessah (Passover Fish Escabeche)
Recipe adapted from The Jewish Food Society and shared by Michel Thouati, whose family comes from the Andalusian part of Spain.
Click here for printable version
Ingredients
For the fish and coating:
1 c. matzo cake meal
1 ½ c. almond flour
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ tbsp. granulated garlic
1¼ tsp. kosher salt, divided
4 small red snapper fish, filleted and cut diagonally into 3-in. long thin pieces
½ tbsp. ground green peppercorns (If you can’t find dried green peppercorns, substitute 1/2 tsp. of freshly ground black peppercorns. The green peppercorns are unripe and are much milder.)
2 eggs, whisked in a medium-wide bowl
¼ c. olive oil, plus more as needed
For the escabeche and garnish:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, julienned with a knife (not on a mandolin)
2 medium carrots, finely julienned (I used a mandolin- you could also use a large shredding disc on a food processor)
1 small red pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into very thin strips
1 small yellow pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into very thin strips
1 tbsp. rinsed capers
½ tsp. whole fennel seeds
1 tsp. fresh or ½ tsp. dried oregano, chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
¼ tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tbsp. honey
Directions
In a bowl, whisk together matzo cake meal, almond meal, minced garlic, granulated garlic, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Transfer mixture to a flat plate.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Season the fish pieces with salt and freshly ground green or black pepper.
Set the bowl of beaten eggs next to the fish. Heat 1/4 c. olive oil over medium heat. Dip each fish piece in the eggs, and then dredge in the dry meal mixture, turning to coat both sides.
Fry the fish in batches. Carefully lay the fish
