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Monday, April 9, 2012

And Chaos Ensued

David and I are still cleaning up the kitchen after last night's Passover seder/blowout.  We had our first one two years ago with about six people, last year increased to about eight and this year went full throttle with a crowd of fourteen that included three children and one person that neither of us had previously met (though she was lovely). 

Despite all the careful planning, there were things we had forgotten, like the hand-washing bowl that is a part of the seder.  While dinner was in the oven, the delicious potato casserole boiled over and caused smoke to fill the kitchen and dining room.  We then opened the doors a little earlier than the section where you open them for Elijah--but no matter.  It was a chaotic seder, but everyone had a good time.

Last week I wrote about the challenges of preparing a delicious meal that is not only kosher for Passover (no bread, rice, beans, corn, peas or things that puff when they cook), plus suitable for the one vegan and five vegetarians that were joining us.  What do you serve under these circumstances?We settled on a dairy meal with a fish dish--for those who aren't familiar with the laws of kashrut, certain fish are considered pareve, or neutral--neither meat nor milk. 

Haroset (traditional fruit-and-nut dish that is part of the seder plate, but also delicious)
Matzoh
Herb-crusted halibut
Warm quinoa salad with vegetables
Roasted asparagus
The best scalloped potatoes ever (will be posted later this week)
Various salads and vegetables brought by friends
Gelato and chocolate-covered matzoh for dessert


This is what I get for forgetting take photos until after the meal.
We had a lot of food, and our refrigerator runneth over.  As it turned out, most of the vegetarians were of the pescetarian, a/k/a Alaska vegetarian, variety--eaters of fish but not meat.  That's just as well since David got carried away when he bought the halibut. 

This recipe originally called for salmon, but oddly salmon was selling at a premium yesterday.  It makes no sense, unless it is all the restaurants in the lower 48 buying Alaska salmon that is causing the price hike.  It worked just as well for halibut, a firm, mild white fish that needs adventurous flavors to be at its best.  I doubled the original recipe, but it can be scaled back down if you're feeding less than a crowd.

Herb-Crusted Halibut
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That? by Ina Garten

2 cups chopped mixed herbs--parsley, sage, thyme or whatever you have on hand
2 cups chopped green onions, including both the white and green parts
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
5 lb. halibut filet, skin on

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  While it is heating, place the halibut skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet.  In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and olive oil, then pour evenly over the halibut--there may be a bit left over. 

Combine the herbs and green onions, then pat the mixture evenly over the fish.  Pour the wine around the edges of the halibut.

Bake for fifteen to eighteen minutes, or until the thickest part of the fish flakes easily and is opaque.  Remove the fish from the oven and cover with foil for ten minutes.

Easily serves 12 people.

35 comments:

  1. I know how get together can be and it seems like there is always one or two things that aren't exactly right, but I am glad to say it is usually overlooked by the guest.
    Halibut sounds like a great choice. In fact,we do not see fresh fish but we always see salmon, so halibut would have been a nice change. It looks tasty-glad you enjoyed your weekend!

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  2. Sounds like a great menu!

    Happy Passover!

    Mal @ The Chic Geek

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  3. Well done. Every memorable dinner party has a few hiccups...it just means you will be talking about this one for awhile :)

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  4. With forty plus people on Paul's side of the family - everything is always chaos. I learned to like it. Love a new halibut recipe - halibut is sky-high here and Alaskan salmon is more affordable - so your theory just may be correct!

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  5. mmm, looks light and delicious - perfect for after Easter feasting!

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  6. Thanks for your comments! I'm sorry the last part of the recipe was cut off before--I'm cursing blogger as I write this.

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  7. What a wonderful Passover meal!! I really love halibut... it's such a firm and mild fish. I just saw some chocolate covered matzoh being made on the Chew... it looked delicious. Mmmmm!

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  8. I see a great menu for the passover.

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  9. Lovely passover menu. Sounds like it all went off well even with a few mishaps. Wonderful job and a great post. Have a great week,

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  10. This is absolutely lovely. I am such a huge fan of halibut. You had a great meal.

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  11. Preparing a meal for fourteen people can be a challenge! But if they all come with good intentions then everything is much easier! the fish looks delicious and is the best idea when you have people with different tastes and customs!

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  12. I never knew that there are vegetarians who eat fish until I started travelling to the Western countries. For us, being vegetarian is excluding fish as well. Suppose we are different depending on which part of the world we come from.

    I would like to try with salmon but sure its one of the most expensive fish over here but I suppose spending a bit for a good variety of fish does not hurt. My other half lives on fish diet, so this will be a good try for him. I am going to try this lovely and simple recipe of yours for our Sat night dinner. I am so tempted esp with all the herbs added inside and this certainly makes the fish smell so fragrant and full of flavors.

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  13. 14 plus 3 kids... wow that's a lot of people to host! But it seems like you did a wonderful job with the great menu! We love halibut!

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  14. chocolate-covered matzoh?! i need that in my life. could you make chocolate matzoh soup? ;)

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  15. Sounds like you had one heck of a day!! Sounds crazy but I'm sure in the end it was fun. Your halibut sounds incredible & I cannot wait for your scalloped potatoes!! Yum!!

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  16. Wow, you made such an amazing meal with so many diet restrictions. That gets so tricky when planning dinner parties, but it looks like you prevailed! And, what's a good dinner party without a little smoke? I look forward to your scalloped potato recipe!! My favorite!

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  17. Fun though! A good kind of chaos :) Awesome halibut, darling

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  18. It sounds like a lovely Passover...and your entree is one I'd love to try! A little chaos makes it a more memorable occasion :)

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  19. Sounds lovely. I love halibut. Ina Garten has some great recipes.

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  20. This would have made for a fantastic passover meal. Delicious chaos, like this is always welcome.

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  21. Your seder sounds like it was such a hit! :D

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  22. We always had huge seders at our house when I was little- I can't imagine how my mom did it... Yours looks gorgeous with such a lovely menu!

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  23. Ha! We served quinoa and also asparagus at our Passover dinner too! First time serving quinoa, it was a big hit. Will post soon.
    Your halibut sounds good!
    We had 33 people, including our 3 new cousins - twins at 6 mo. and little Ava at 6 weeks.
    Happy Passover!
    LL

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  24. It sounds like you had a wonder Passover dinner and you halibut sounds delicious. My husband over buys when I send him to the store as well.

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  25. the meal looks fabulous deliciously done

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  26. What a lovely meal - and i LOVE fish of all kinds. This looks like such a fresh, healthy, and delicious halibut!

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  27. This sounds really good, I'm always looking for a good fish recipe. Chag Sameach!

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  28. The seder meal sounds delicious and it also sounds like you'll have a lot of good memories and stories to tell next year!

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  29. It is tough to cook for a lot of people who have different dietary needs! Your menu sounds delicious though!

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  30. Chaos often leads to the best meals and conversation. What a great menu you created.

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  31. It's not chaos if it's a dinner party---it's just makes for a good story for the next time everyone gets together. That halibut looks delicious and actually sounds better to me than salmon.

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  32. Great holiday meal,the halibut looks delicious !!
    Ridwan

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  33. Your menu is mouthwatering :D
    Happy holidays!

    Happy Easter!
    Choc Chip Uru

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  34. The next war can come, you have enough fish to get you through it! LOL This looks delish!!!

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  35. What a delicious looking meal! It all looks so flavorful and perfect for spring. Thanks for sharing!

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