Passover Pizza, Part II (still not kosher)
Apple-walnut charoset (with cinnamon, brown sugar & red wine), shredded Asiago cheese, vegetarian matzah balls, fresh parsley, horseradish, grated Parmesan
We've made our Passover pizza once again. And once again, apologies if you were looking for an actual kosher-for-Passover dish. I couldn't bring myself to make matzah pizza instead of real dough pizza. Sorry. Like Oprah, I just love bread too much. But if you or your dinner companions are trying to be a little more authentic, then go ahead and throw these ingredients on some flat unleavened bread. More power to you.
Recipe
Ingredients: 1 ball of pizza dough (if you really want to celebrate Passover correctly, I guess you can use matzah, but it will be significantly less delicious) flour for dusting
semolina flour for pizza stone olive oil salt & pepper small bunch of parsley, chopped 1-2 tablespoons horseradish shredded Asiago grated Parmesan
For the charoset: 3 medium Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored & diced 1 ½ cups walnuts, lightly toasted & chopped ½ cup red wine (Manischewitz is traditional, but we used a cab sav, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand) 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
For the matzah balls: 4 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon salt pinch of cayenne 2 teaspoons grated white onion ¾ cup matzah meal 2 tablespoons butter, melted 7 cups vegetable stock
Directions: Separate the eggs so that the whites are in a medium bowl (or stand mixer) and the yolks in a large bowl. Beat the whites until they hold stiff peaks (this could take a while if you’re doing it by hand, try and be patient). Set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks together with the salt, cayenne, onion & butter, until fully combined. Then gently fold in the egg whites with a spatula. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
To make the charoset, just combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Set aside until you’re ready to use it.
When the matzah mixture has chilled, preheat your oven to 550° F and bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a large pot. Roll the matzah mixture into ¾-inch balls between your hands, and drop them into the boiling stock.
Return the liquid to a boil, and then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about half an hour. Remove the balls with a slotted spoon—once they’re cool enough to handle, cut them in half and set aside.
While the matzah balls are cooking, you can start preparing your dough using the directions to the right. After it has baked for a minute, take it out and brush it lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle an even layer of the asiago over the dough, followed by the charoset.
Next, place the matzah balls, cut side down, on the pizza. Sprinkle with horseradish and grated parmesan and pop it in the oven. Bake until the cheese is melty and the crust is golden brown. Then take it out, sprinkle on the fresh parsley and enjoy—and don’t forget to save a glass of wine for Elijah!