Classic Passover recipes are far from bland

More than about any other Jewish holiday, the meals served at Passover must be limited.

The bread many take for granted is off the table, literally, as leavened breads are excluded. But every fine cook knows the bread won’t be missed when a few other traditional foods make it to the table–a traditional matzo ball soup, for instance, along with a brisket. And, yes, it’s possible to make one that is not dried out.

Take  a stand

We love the recipes for a Passover feast from Fine Cooking. Try the Flourless Chocolate Passover Cake, and serve it up in style with a classic cake stand. Acacia cake stand, $49.95, surlatable.com

Soup’s on

Discover a new twist or two on the traditional brisket (for a ton of ideas, visit epicurious.com). Or try this classic–the soup beloved by many, from Fine Cooking. We suggest serving it up in style in a soup tureen. Soup tureen with ladle, $49.95, crateandbarrel.com

Matzo Ball Soup

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup rendered chicken fat or fat reserved from the chicken broth, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
• 5 ounces (1 1/4 cups) matzo meal
• 7 cups golden chicken broth (visit www.finecooking.com/recipes/golden-chicken-broth.aspx to learn how to make your own broth)
• 4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/3 cup cold water. Add the rendered or reserved chicken fat and whisk until the fat blends in. Mix in the salt and pepper. Gradually but quickly stir in the matzo meal with a spoon; the mixture will be thick and stiff, like muffin batter. Don’t overmix. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper and fill a bowl with cold water. Dip a large soup-spoon in the water, and gently scoop up the chilled matzo mixture and shape it with your hands into 12 medium balls (about 1 3/4 inches in diameter) or 18 smaller ones (about 1 1/4 inches in diameter), being careful not to compact them. Put the matzo balls on the lined baking sheet. Cook immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
3. To cook the matzo balls, bring 1 or 2 large pots of salted water to a boil. Drop in the matzo balls, cover the pots, and reduce the heat after the water returns to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the matzo balls have doubled in size and have lightened all the way through (cut one in half to check) 30 to 40 minutes; drain. Cooked matzo balls can be held at room temperature for several hours.
4. To serve, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Taste for salt and pepper. Add the matzo balls and heat until they’re hot in the middle, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, put 2 medium or 3 small matzo balls in a warm soup bowl. Ladle in hot broth and sprinkle generously with the parsley. Serve right away.