Passover and Chicken Dumplings

Family food traditions are a cornerstone of Passover. I have prevailed on Peggy Greenbaum of Rancho Mirage to share her family recipes, which are of German origin.

Typically, the chicken for a fricassee is sauteed before it’s cooked in the sauce, but in this recipe, it is baked to hold down fat. It’s much easier to do this way, too.

The dumplings are made with crumbled matzos (not matzo meal), which gives them a rougher appearance and lighter texture. The sauce for the chicken fricassee is kept deliberately thin. As they cook, the dumplings thicken it considerably.

OVEN-BROWNED CHICKEN FRICASSEE WITH MATZO DUMPLINGS

MAZO DUMPLINGS

2 Passover matzos

2 cups cool water

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup minced onion

3/4 cup minced celery

2 eggs

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 to 6 tablespoons matzo meal

CHICKEN

2 (2 1/2- to 3- pound) chickens

1 cup matzo cake meal

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 1/2 cups water

1/3 cup chopped parsley

MATZO DUMPLINGS

Break matzos into small pieces and soak in cool water until fluffy, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze matzos to remove excess water. Set aside.

Melt butter in nonstick skillet and cook onion and celery over medium heat until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add moistened matzos and stir. Cook until mixture is dry, about 4 minutes. Cool completely at room temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Beat together eggs, parsley, salt and pepper until eggs are frothy and add to matzo mixture with 4 tablespoons matzo meal. Use fork to lightly combine ingredients.

Test for texture and taste by wetting hands and making 1-inch ball. Cook in boiling salted water until ball puffs slightly and rises to the top, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. If ball falls apart, mix in remaining matzo meal with fork. Test again if necessary.

Let mixture rest in skillet about 2 hours at room temperature.

Wet hands and gently shape mixture into 1-inch balls; do not compress into tight balls.

CHICKEN

Cut each chicken into 8 pieces, remove visible fat, wash and blot dry with paper towels.

Put 2/3 cup matzo cake meal, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, sage and pepper in large plastic food bag and shake to mix. Put few chicken pieces at a time in bag, shake to coat with dry mixture and gently shake off excess. Arrange chicken, meaty side up, in single layer in shallow baking pan lined with foil. Bake on center rack at 400 degrees until well browned, 60 to 70 minutes.

Melt butter in large pot. Add remaining 1/3 cup matzo cake meal and cook over medium heat until browned, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add onion. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes, stirring often. Add broth, water, parsley and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer 5 minutes; sauce should be consistency of broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When chicken is done, add pieces to sauce pot, spooning sauce over chicken. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

Discard any fat in baking pan and return chicken to baking pan. Keep warm in 250-degree oven.

Cook Matzo Dumplings, turning often, in simmering sauce until they puff slightly and rise to surface, about 10 minutes. Remove to platter and keep at room temperature. Makes 2 dozen dumplings. (Note: If cooking 1 day ahead, refrigerate chicken and sauce separately. Reheat chicken, covered, in 375-degree oven. Gently reheat sauce.)

To serve, arrange chicken and dumplings on warm platter. Spoon sauce over. Serve hot.

8 servings: Each serving:

526 calories; 1,399 mg sodium; 177 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 34 grams protein; 0.95 gram fiber.

* Rebecca Wood platter by the Karen Alweil Studio from Zero Minus Plus, Santa Monica, and New Stone age, Los Angeles. Drennen & Drennen runner from Two sisters, Toluca Lake, and Zero Minus Plus, Santa Monica.