Passover food

Makes 3 cups (serves approx. 8-10)

Ingredients:

Directions:

active time: 1 1/4 hour; start to finish: 2 1/4 hour

serves 10 to 12

Ingredients:

6 tbl olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 lb fennel, stalks and fronds cut off and discarded, then bulbs cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup golden raisins

2 egg matzas broken into 1/2 pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground in an electric coffee/spice grinder

1 (4-5lb) butterflied turkey breast

1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 tsp potato starch

Stuffing:

1. Heat 3 tblsp oil in a 12 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add fennel, celery, and 1/2 tsp salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel and celery are golden and tender, 10-12 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl to cool.

2. Soak raisins in boiling hot water to cover 5 minutes, then drain well and chop. Add to vegetables.

3. Rinse matza in a colander under hot running water until softened, 15 to 30 seconds. Drain, pressing gently on matza to extract excess water. Add to vegetables along with egg, parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and stir until combined.

4. Stir together 1 tbl oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and ground fennel seed in a small bowl.

Turkey:

Pound turkey breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap with a flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin until 1/2 inch thick.

Stuff and Roast:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap from 1 breast half and pat turkey dry. Arrange with a short side nearest you and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mound half of stuffing in center, leaving 1 inch border on each long side. Fold short end nearest you over stuffing to enclose, gently pressing on filling, then roll to form a cylinder (don't roll too tight, or filling will slip out of ends). Tie rolled turkey breast crosswise at 1 inch intervals with kitchen string. Season remaining turkey breast half with remaining 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper, then stuff, roll, and tie in same manner.

3. Rub fennel oil all over roasts to coat. Heat remaining 2 tbl oil in large heavy flameproof roasting pan straddled across two burners on moderately high heat. Add roasts (position 1 roast over each burner) and sear, turning with tongs, until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Cover pan tightly with foil and roast turkey in oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center of each roast (to touch stuffing) registers 165 degrees F, 35-40 minutes. Transfer roasts to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes before slicing.

4. While roasts stand, straddle roasting pan across 2 burners on moderately high heat, then add 1 1/2 cups broth and deglaze by boiling, stirring, and scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, 2-3 minutes. Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup broth and potato starch and whisk into sauce, then boil, whisking, until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Pour sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a sauceboat and skim off any fat. Serve turkey with sauce.

NOTE:

Roasts can be stuffed and tied 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature, then pat dry and rub with fennel oil before searing.

Rabbi Osadchey's

Ingredients:

Directions: