3 cups of baked potato, peeled, fed through a potato ricer
¾ cup of matzah cake flour (matzah cake meal), plus 3 Tablespoons for dusting the table
3 tablespoons dried ground porcini (cèpes) mushrooms
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

On a flat tabletop sprinkle some of the matzah cake meal and place the potatoes on top. While potatoes are still warm, make a well in the middle of them. Pour in matzah flour, porcini dust, eggs and salt. With a fork slowly mix eggs with the matzah flour and work into the potatoes. With your hands, fold mixture until it is homogenous. The dough should be slightly sticky, if it is too wet sprinkle additional matzah flour over and work it in. The dough should be firm but do not overworked. Roll the dough into a three-inch cylinder. With a knife cut a 1-inch slice and on a well dusted part of the table roll into a 1-inch thick cylinder. At every 1-inch intervals cut and slightly pinch gnocchi with thumb and forefinger. Roll pieces into some matzah flour and bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water to taste and place gnocchi into the boiling water. Once gnocchi rise to the top and have cooked for approximately 5 minutes, strain from pot with a slotted spoon into a flat plate. Drizzle a little olive oil over in order that they do not stick to each other. To serve: Heat up a sauté pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and place 10-12 gnocchi into the hot pan. Brown on each side approximately 2 minutes. Serve on each plate with the braised beef.

Pair this meal with a bottle of 2007 Herzog Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and enjoy the memories. Happy Passover!

4-5 pounds piece of boneless beef shoulder, tied with butcher string to make it a more uniform shape

Marinade:
4 cups red wine, such as Baron Herzog Merlot
8 crushed black peppercorns
4 shallots, sliced
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 carrot
¼ cup brandy

Aromatics:
4 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch rounds
2 celery stalks cut into ¼ inch pieces
2 medium Spanish onions, julienned
3 cloves garlic sliced
¼ cup tomato concasse or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Bouquet garnish of thyme sprigs, parsley, bay leaf, and outer leek leaf tied into a bundle
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and coarsely ground black peppercorns

Liquid:
Strained cooked marinade plus 3 cups red wine
Broth to cover 1/3 of beef roast
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325̊̊ degrees. Add all marinade ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer to reduce by a quarter. Let cool and place roast inside marinade, refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning at 12 hours. Dry the meat from marinade and liberally season with sea salt and black peppercorn. Reserve the marinade. Inside your roasting pot heat up the olive oil and add the beef. Sear all sides of the roast until you reach a deep rich brown color. Remove roast to a separate plate. Add your aromatics to the render beef fat left in the pot and sauté until lightly browned and translucent. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook until the tomato turns a rich brown color. Nestle roast back into the vegetables. Strain reserved marinade over the roast while pot is on a medium flame. Add the new wine and simmer until all alcohol has dissipated. Pour in broth to cover at least 1/3 the roast. Add your bouquet garni bundle and cover with a piece of parchment paper then place lid over pot. Place pot into preheated oven and continue to cook for approximately 2 hours. Check doneness with a wooden skewer. You should be able to pierce meat and easily pull out skewer. If it is not ready continue to cook and check at 45-minute intervals. Serves 6.

This Italian dessert is a perfect ending to your seder. It’s a refreshing parve twist on a traditional dairy dessert.

Panna Cotta literally means “cooked cream”. It is actually not cooked beyond being heated, and is a light, flavorful imitation of a baked custard.

Citrus Panna Cotta Recipe:
6 cups of parve whipped topping
1 package of Kolatin unflavored kosher gelatin
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 lemon peel
2 orange peels
oil
4″ disposable aluminum 14 round cups (You can find these at Amazing Savings)

Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the inside, and save the outside of the bean.
Peel the skin of a lemon, and 2 oranges, try not to include too much of the white pith.
To infuse the citrus flavor into the whipped topping, combine in a pot; the 6 cups of parve whipped topping, vanilla bean scraped inside as well as outside pieces, lemon peel and orange peel.
Then sprinkle the gelatin on top of the mixture, let it sit for 5 minutes.
Then put the pot on a low flame, not allowing it to boil, just to simmer.
After you turn on the flame add the sugar and stir the mixture, until it’s combined.
Let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Take it off of the flame and strain it into a bowl. This will allow for the peels to separate from the mixture.
Pour a little oil onto a paper towel and lightly grease the inside of the foil cup.
Pour strained mixture into the cups, a little less than the top of the rim.
The cups can be placed on a baking sheet and then refrigerate them to set for 4 hours or overnight. After they have set you can cover them with saran wrap. Can be made up to a week in advance. Will keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Yields about 14 cups.

Creme Anglaise Sauce Recipe:
12 fluid ounces of pareve whipped topping
4 ounces orange juice
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, inside scraped
1 orange peel
6 egg yolks

Put the egg yolks in a metal or glass bowl. In a medium sized pot combine the pareve whipped topping, orange juice, vanilla bean; scraped inside and outside, sugar and orange peel. Bring the mixture to a boiling point, turn off flame and pour the hot mixture from the pot slowly into the bowl with the egg yolks. As you are pouring the mixture you must continuously stir the egg yolks with a whisk.

Once the mixture has been combined with the egg yolk continue to whisk until completely blended. Return the mixture to the pot and bring it to boil while continuously stirring. The mixture will thicken in about 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat, and strain the mixture into a bowl. Let it cool.

Serving Suggestions: Take a sharp knife and go around the inside edges of the cup to separate the Panna Cotta from the cup, Then flip it upside down onto your dessert plate. You can also poke a hole in the bottom of the cup to help it slide onto the plate. The take a spoon and put the Creme Anglaise around the Panna Cotta. Garnish with an orange slice.

Pastry Chef Ehud Ezra
Basil Restaurant

Yield: 4
½ cup matzah cake meal
½ cup matzah meal + more, as needed
½ cup matzah farfal
½ cup assorted fresh herbs (fresh basil, parsley, thyme, etc.)
4 8-ounce skinless and boneless chicken cutlets
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Place the matzo cake meal in a shallow bowl. Combine the matzo meal, matzo farfal and fresh herbs in a flat, shallow pan suitable for dredging. Mix well and set aside.

Loosely enclose the chicken cutlets in plastic wrap. Using a mallet, pound each cutlet thin. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet on both sides in the matzo cake meal; dip in egg wash. Dredge in the combined breading mixture. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Pan-fry each cutlet until golden brown on both sides. Place cutlets on a baking sheet and continue cooking in a 350˚ preheated oven for 8 – 10 minutes, or until cooked through, if needed.

12 cloves roasted garlic
1 pound fingerling potatoes, blanched and cut into 3/4” lengths
1 cup roasted red pepper, diced medium
½ English cucumber
1 bulb fennel, fronds removed and sliced thin
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
12 ounces Mesculin salad
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Advance Preparation:
1. Slow roast the garlic cloves, if not already store-bought.
2. Bake and cut the fingerling potatoes.
3. Slice the fennel
4. Pound the chicken breasts.

In a large bowl combine the Mesculin greens with the remaining vegetables and olives. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice and honey. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad, mix well. Place each cooked chicken breast on individual plates. Top with the salad and serve immediately.

Optional~ Omit the Mesculin greens, cucumber, lemon juice and honey. Sautee the remaining vegetables in a small amount of olive oil.

15 tarragon leaves
15 parsley leaves
15 cilantro leaves
15 mint leaves
15 basil leaves

Combine all

1 bottle red wine
¼ cup dried figs, cut in a small dice
¼ cup Apples, cut in a small dice
¼ cup Sates, cut in a small dice
¼ cup Marcona almonds
1 stick cinnamon
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
¼ cup sugar

Heat wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf, and sugar. Lower to simmer and reduce wine by half.
Strain out the spices.Add the figs, apples, dates, and almonds and reduce by half again.

1 brisket
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup horseradish
1 cup kosher for passover mustard

Take the brisket and salt well.
Smoke for 1 hour or cook slowly on a charcoal/wood grill.
Combine the other ingredients and rub all over the brisket evenly.
Wrap in foil and cook fat side up at 200 degrees for 11 hours.

TOMATO HERB SALAD
Yield: 2 cups

2 cups assorted tomatoes, diced medium (plum, yellow, cherry, heirloom, pear, etc.)
¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, rough chopped
juice of ½ lemon
4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
1 pound arugula

In a medium sized bowl combine the assorted tomatoes with the fresh herbs. Pour in the fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Mix occasionally.

CUTLETS MILANESE
Yield: 4

½ cup matza meal
½ cup matza flour + more, as needed
½ cup matza farfale
½ cup assorted fresh herbs (fresh basil, parsley, thyme, etc.)
4 8-ounce skinless and boneless chicken cutlets
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Combine the matza meal, flour, farfale and fresh herbs in a flat, shallow pan suitable for dredging. Mix well and set aside.

Loosely enclose the chicken cutlets in plastic wrap. Using a mallet, pound each cutlet thin.

Season lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet on both sides in the matza cake meal; dip in egg wash. Dredge in the combined breading mixture.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Pan-fry each cutlet until golden brown on both sides. Place cutlets on a baking sheet and continue cooking in a 350˚ preheated oven for 8 – 10 minutes, or until cooked through, if needed.

Place arugula on plates and top with hot chicken cutlets. Divide the macerated tomatoes evenly over the cutlets and arugula. Provide lemon wedges, if desired, and serve immediately.

Yield: 8

1 large head radicchio
4 boneless smoked trout fillet
1 red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
4 oranges, peeled & sectioned, (reserve juice)
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
sea salt, or kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Separate the leaves of radicchio to make individual cups. Set aside.

Remove skin from trout and flake into a medium sized bowl. Add red onion and orange sections. Lightly toss to evenly combine.

In a small bowl, combine all the orange juice, honey, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Slowly add oil while whisking vigorously. Pour vinaigrette over the prepared salad and gently toss.

Place each portion of salad into the individual radicchio cups. Serve chilled.

Ingredients
Gnocchi
3 ¼ cups potatoes, starchy type, like idaho
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons potato starch, plus extra for rolling
1 egg yolk, beaten
Salt and black pepper to taste

To Serve
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons Basil Pesto or sauce of your choice
3 tablespoons parmesan shavings
3 tablespoons walnuts, roasted and roughly chopped

Method
1. Potatoes: Place the potatoes with their skin on in a saucepan with cold water, bring the water to the boil and boil the potatoes for 20-30 minutes, until they are tender. Alternatively microwave them for 8-10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the saucepan or microwave and allow them to cool so that you can handle them. While the potatoes are still warm peel them and put them through a mouli or potato ricer into a bowl.

2. Gnocchi Dough: Lightly beat the egg into the potatoes then gradually beat in the potato starch until you have slightly sticky dough (you may not need all the potato starch as the potatoes will vary in moisture) season the dough with a little salt and pepper.

3. Gnocchi: Turn the dough out onto a container dusted with potato starch and knead it lightly. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each quarter into sausages around ¼ inch thick. Cut the sausages into pieces ½ inch long. Place each piece on your thumb and with a fork. Lightly mark over the top so that you have ridges on one side. Place the gnocchi on a floured container in a single layer as you prepare them. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

4. To Cook: Bring a large saucepan of boiling water to the boil, reduce done to a strong simmer. Cook the gnocchi in the water in batches until they just rise to the surface then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl while you cook the remaining gnocchi (if partially cooking in advance to reheat in a hot sauce, plunge them in a bowl of iced water).

5. To Serve: Add the olive oil and Pesto sauce to the bowl and gently coat the gnocchi with it. Serve the gnocchi with parmesan shavings and sprinkled with walnuts (optional).