A RECIPE FOR FREEDOM Passover Silan Sage Date Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

Olive oil (or a different oil of choice)

8 chicken thighs

3 large onions, cut into thin slices

3 peeled carrots, sliced

1 overflowing tablespoon of silan

2-3 leaves of fresh sage

Thyme

Chili

Half a teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of salt

4 1/2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 jar of apricot jam

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 full heads of garlic

1 overflowing handful of dates (or dried fruit of choice)

THE DIVERSITY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE can be seen through the lens of charoset, the traditional seder dish that symbolizes the mortar Jewish slaves used to build pyramids before their exodus from Egypt. Charoset comes in numerous variations passed down by Jewish communities and families across the world; many Sephardic and Moroccan versions of the dish feature dates or apricots.

Both of those elements can be found in this Passover Silan Sage Date Chicken recipe crafted by Meir Gabbai, a teacher at AMIT’s Fred Kahane Vocational School in Ashkelon. Nearly 300 students who have not found success in traditional academic settings are enrolled there in tracks like automotive electronics, hair design, business administration, and the culinary arts, which Meir oversees.

This Passover, we encourage you to try this beautiful dish that twists the narrative so that the “mortar” ingredients are not tools of slavery, but conduits of promise and potential — much how we at AMIT see our incredible students. B’TEYAVON!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cover the bottom of a large, heavy pot with a thin layer of oil. Lightly fry the chicken (with skin on) until it turns golden. Remove from pot.

3. Using the remaining oil and fat from the chicken, sauté the onions and carrots in the pot (it might be necessary to add a bit more oil). When the onions begin to brown, add silan, sage, thyme, chili (be generous!), cumin, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, constantly stir the bottom of the pot to ensure that nothing sticks. When the onions brown, add the potatoes, jam, and soy sauce. Put the chicken above the mixture, covered with full heads of garlic (the tops can be cut off to slightly expose the cloves), and sprinkle the dried fruit over the mixture. Cover with water and bring to a boil, adding spices and salt if needed.

4. Cover the pot and put into the oven for two hours. After an hour and a half, remove the lid. It’s best to prepare immediately before serving.