Passover Dishes From Latin America : Favorites: Hand-me-down dishes from Chile and Argentina enliven the Seder menu.

For as long as I can remember, Passover has been an important family event, with as many as 30 people at both Seder dinners. I am constantly looking for new and different ethnic recipes from other continents to enliven our Passover menus.

For example, during the Seder, one of our family Passover traditions is to serve a selection of charoset from other countries, including varieties from Turkey, Greece, Italy and Israel. Charoset is a blend of fruits, nuts and wine that symbolizes the mortar used by the Israelites when they were slaves doing construction work in Egypt.

Recently, Marcel and Rozita Horvat, who lived in Chile for many years, brought us a bottle of Passover Chilean wine and shared their hand-me-down cookbook of Jewish holiday recipes from South America. I was delighted to find a Chilean Charoset made with apples, almonds and spices that are blended into a very sweet paste.

Further conversations with Rozita turned up more recipes for Passover, or Pesaj as it is known in Chile. Rozita still prepares her mother’s Chilean version of roast turkey for holidays. The turkey is marinated with paprika, garlic and lemon juice and stuffed with dried fruits and tart apples.

Another South American Passover favorite is Chicken Argentina. It is a stew made with a variety of vegetables and spices that date back to biblical days, and includes sweet cinnamon and sweet calamus (now known as turmeric).

Spices were very precious in ancient times, and the Jewish people carried them along when they fled from Egypt. Stews like this were always made in huge clay pots, and after Passover the pots were stored to be used again the next year. Serve this dish with Papas Rellenos (Stuffed Potatoes), a South American version of knishes.

South America’s bounty of delicious fruits can be used to make new versions of your favorite Passover desserts. Pineapples, guavas, papayas, mangoes and bananas are all local favorites, as well as the cherimoya, known as the “queen of fruits” in Chile. Nuts are also an important part of South American cuisine. Cashews, walnuts and Brazil nuts add crunchy texture and a wonderful flavor to cookies and cakes.

CHILEAN CHAROSET

1 apple, peeled and chopped

1 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup sugar

1 hard-cooked egg yolk

Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Blend apple, almonds, sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon and ginger to form paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

ROZITA’S HOLIDAY TURKEY

2 tablespoons oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Grated zest of 1 orange

Juice of 1 lemon

1 (12-ounce) package dried apricot halves

1/2 pound pitted and chopped prunes

4 large tart apples (preferably Granny Smith), unpeeled and thinly sliced

1 (12-pound) hen turkey

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup water

Make paste of oil, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, orange zest and lemon juice. Rub all over turkey, inside and out. Marinate in refrigerator overnight, turning once or twice.

Soak apricots and prunes in water until tender. Drain well. Mix dried fruit with apples in bowl. Stuff turkey with fruit mixture and place in large roaster.

Brush turkey skin all over with honey. Surround with any leftover fruit mixture, juices from marinade and 1/2 cup water.

Bake at 450 degrees 30 minutes to brown. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking 2 hours and 40 minutes, until browned and crisp. Baste occasionally. Strain liquid. Slice turkey and arrange stuffing and sauce on top. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

CHICKEN ARGENTINA

1/4 cup oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

1 (5- to 6-pound) chicken, cut in pieces

1 cup matzo meal

2 bay leaves

4 cups chicken stock

2 onions, cut in quarters

4 large carrots, peeled and cut in chunks

2 large parsnips, peeled and thickly sliced

4 small potatoes, unpeeled and halved

1 pound Hubbard squash, peeled and cut in chunks

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 egg

Heat oil in deep large pan. Add garlic and paprika and saute few minutes. Dredge chicken pieces in matzo meal, shaking off excess. Brown on both sides. Add bay leaves and chicken stock. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add onions, carrots, parsnips, potatoes and squash. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook about 30 minutes.

Beat egg in small bowl and add 2 cups hot stock, stirring vigorously. Return to pan and stir over low heat. Cook over low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves. Serve in large shallow soup bowls. Makes 8 servings.

PAPAS RELLENOS (Stuffed Potatoes)

6 russet potatoes

3 eggs

2 tablespoons chicken fat or margarine

Salt, pepper

Matzo meal to bind

Chopped Chicken Livers

Peel and boil potatoes. Place in large bowl and mash potatoes to puree. Add 2 eggs and chicken fat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well. Add enough matzo meal to make soft dough.

Shape mixture into 24 balls. Hollow each out and fill with 1 teaspoon Chopped Chicken Livers. Roll back into balls and place on oiled, foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining egg, beaten. Bake at 375 degrees 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with chicken stew. Makes 24.

Chopped Chicken Livers

1 1/2 pounds chicken livers

1/4 cup oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Passover red wine

2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Trim fat particles from livers and prepare according to kosher dietary laws. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet. Add onions and saute until tender and lightly browned. Add livers and wine and saute, turning livers to brown both sides.

Spoon mixture along with eggs into meat grinder (or chop in wooden bowl), making sure to add juices from skillet. Grind mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate. Use as directed in Papas Rellenos. Makes about 3 cups.