A recipe for Harosset, one of the special, Symbolic Foods Found on the Jewish Passover Table. It's also a wonderfully Tasty Preserve and a Condiment for Lamb or Chicken.
Every food on the traditional Passover Table is imbued with symbolic meaning. Some dishes, such as the roasted lamb, may appear on the dining table at any time over the course of a year – others, such as Harosset, are quite specific to the Jewish Passover.
Passover is, basically, the celebration of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt. During that ordeal, according to the Scriptures, Moses was chosen by God to secure the release of the Jews from the Pharaoh’s service, mainly as forced laborers, servants and for other menial jobs. What ensued was a test of wills and a test of powers between the Pharaoh and God (through Moses).
The most severe, and the last, of these “tests” and warnings came in the form of an Angel of Death coming one night to kill the eldest son of each non-Jewish household. Moses instructed each Jewish home to paint their door lintel with lamb’s blood, to signify that they were believers and were to be spared this cruel fate.
The Angel “passed over” the designated homes that night, although the eldest son of everyone else’s household was dead by the morning – including the Pharaoh’s and the rest of his court’s. Angry, heartbroken and in a deep awe of God’s power, the Egyptian leader sent for Moses and, finally, consented to releasing the Jews from his bondage. This is the event that is celebrated with in Passover – and each year, the story is retold.
A bowl of salty water, for example, is there to symbolize the tears the Jews shed in Egypt. Lamb is served to symbolize their sacrifices and the blood on the lintels – and Harosset is served to symbolize the mortar used in building for the Pharaoh. It also is symbolic of the continued building of communities and of faith that the Jews have built and will continue to build through the centuries.
All that being said, Harosset is also a wonderful, sweet, and somewhat crunchy, preserve that non-Jews might well enjoy any time of the year. While there are many, many variations on this dish, here is a basic recipe:
Ingredients:
- ½ pound pitted dates
- ½ pound dark raisins
- 2 apples
- ¼ cup chopped almonds and/or ½ cup chopped walnuts
- cinnamon and allspice to taste (figure on about a ½ teaspoon of each to begin)
- ½ cup (about) of sweet red wine – either one of the traditional Passover wines or a Madeira or Marsala
Method:
- Finely chop the dates and raisins.
- Soak them in a bowl of hot water for several hours – or overnight.
- Pour the bowl’s contents – water and all – into a saucepan or kettle, peel and grate the apples and add to the pan, bringing the contents to a boil.
- Once the pan has come to a boil, cut the heat the a low simmer, stir occasionally (with a wooden spoon) and, as you do, mash the contents against the sides of the pan to thoroughly squash it, and to process it into a smooth, thick paste. (An electric blender may also be used, but that yields a very smooth paste – some individuals prefer it, some do not).
- Add about half of the almonds and/or walnuts, stir into the paste and allow the mixture to cool.
- Just before serving, stir in the wine.
- Traditionally, this is served in a footed glass bowl. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top before serving.
This is a very rich dish, best served on the side of a plate, almost as a condiment.
