Roast chicken with apricots and olives
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 1 hour, plus at least 2hours’ marinating 3½ to 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (see Note) 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, plus 1 lemon, sliced and seeded
¼ cup fresh blood orange or regular orange juice
¼ cup honey
4to 6garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¾ teaspoon dried thyme 3 tablespoons ground sumac 4 tablespoons olive oil
1cup (6ounces) dried apricots
1cup (4ounces) pitted Castelvetrano olives with 2 tablespoons brine
4 large or 8 small shallots, roots trimmed, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters or halves
¼ cup dry white wine
Slash each piece of chicken through the skin a few times, about 1inch deep. Season with the salt and pepper and place in a large bowl or large resealable plastic bag. Whisk lemon juice, orange juice, honey, garlic, thyme, sumac and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl to combine. Add lemon slices, apricots, olives and olive brine. Pour the marinade over the chicken and cover tightly or remove as much air as possible before sealing it. Set on a small sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 2hours and up to 24 hours, turning the bag from time to time.
Position a rack 8inches from the broiler heat source.
Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss shallots with remaining tablespoon oil and spread out on a large sheet pan, cut sides down. Place on the lower rack and cook, turning once, until starting to turn golden, 10to 12minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and use your hands and a slotted spoon to scoop the chicken, apricots, lemon slices and olives onto the pan, reserving the marinade. Arrange in an even layer with the chicken skin side up and return to the oven. Cook for 15minutes, baste the chicken with the drippings, and cook until chicken juices run clear, about 10minutes longer. Remove the pan from the oven. Heat the broiler to high.
Pour the reserved marinade and wine over the chicken, and broil until the chicken
is browned and the liquid is thickened, 3to 5minutes. If the apricots start to get too dark, turn them over in the sauce. Transfer to a platter. If you used chicken breasts, cut them in half. Pour the sauce over everything or serve it on the side.
Tips: You can buy your favorite bone-in parts or cut a whole 3½- to 4-pound chicken into bone-in pieces: 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2wings.
Matzo frittata Yield:
Total time:
8 servings
1 hour 15 minutes 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 extra-large Spanish onion (1 pound), halved and sliced into 1⁄4-inch half-moons Kosher salt and black pepper
12 ounces white or brown button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
6 sheets salted or unsalted matzo, broken into small pieces
6 large eggs
½ cup lightly packed flatleaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Heat oven to 400degrees. Heat a 12-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1½ tablespoons oil and then the onion.
Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very well browned and starting to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes.
Add ¾ cup water, stirring the onion and scraping the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until very soft and golden, about 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons water, then scrape the onion into a bowl. Bring a large kettle or saucepan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium-high heat (no need to wash). Add 1½ tablespoons oil, then the mushrooms. Season with the rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 10minutes. Stir in a little water, scraping up any bits in the pan, let it evaporate and transfer to the bowl with the onions. Rinse the pan.
Place the matzo in a colander set inside a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and let sit for 1 minute. Pull the colander out of the water and let drain.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs well and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the mushroom mixture, the softened matzo and the parsley and stir very thoroughly.
Heat the rinsed skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil and then pour in the matzo mixture and smooth the top. Cook, undisturbed, until firm on bottom and edges, 5to 7minutes. Transfer to the oven and cook until set in the middle and golden brown on top, 12 to 15 minutes. (If desired, broil for 1 to 2minutes to brown the top.) Loosen from pan if needed with a rubber spatula and slide onto a cutting board or plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cut into wedges to serve.
Sweet potatoes with tsimmes glaze
Yield: 4 to 6 servings Total time: 45 minutes 4small sweet potatoes (6 to 8ounces each), halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 navel or Cara Cara oranges, zested and juiced 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (1½-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine slivers
1⁄2 cup bite-size pitted prunes, quartered
Position a rack on the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil.
Rub the sweet potatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on the pan cut sides down and roast on the low rack until nicely browned on the cut sides and a paring knife inserted meets no resistance, 30to 40minutes. If they are getting too dark on the cut sides but are not yet done, turn them over.
Meanwhile, combine the orange juice, half of the orange zest, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon, ginger, prunes and a big pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to maintain a steady, low simmer. Cook, stirring and smashing a few prunes against the pan occasionally, until thick and syrupy about 15 minutes. Cover to keep warm.
Arrange sweet potatoes on a serving platter cut sides up and spoon the glaze over top, rewarming with a splash of water to loosen, if needed. Sprinkle the remaining orange zest over the top.