This is one of Chef Alon Shaya’s favorite Passover recipes. After moving back to the U.S. from Italy, he adjusted the recipe to include hazelnuts, pistachios and vin santo, which beautifully compliment all the dried fruits. Although there are several ingredients, the majority of those items are spices.
Note: Leftovers keep well in the fridge for several days.
Recipe courtesy of Alon Shaya, Chef and Co-Founder, Pomegranate Hospitality (New Orleans: Saba, Saba’s Lounge, Miss River and Chandelier Bar at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans; Denver: Safta; Bahamas: Silan at Atlantis Paradise Island); Author, “Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel”.
Looking for more chef-approved recipes from Alon Shaya? Check out his smoky, meltingly creamy baba ganoush recipe inspired by his grandmother, his extra-fancy matzah ball soup recipe made with a whole duck, and his fall-apart tender slow-roasted lamb shoulder recipe.
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Chef Alon Shaya’s Haroset
Chef Alon Shaya’s flavorful haroset recipe, featuring hazelnuts, pistachios and vin santo, puts a unique spin on tradition and is perfect for elevating your Passover seder.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: About 4 cups
Ingredients
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 7–8 dried figs (6 oz), chopped
- 6 oz (about 1 cup) dried apricots, pitted and chopped
- ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted
- ½ cup pistachios, toasted
- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar, preferably seasoned
- ⅓ cup sweet sparkling white wine, preferably Moscato d’Asti
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 3 Tbsp apricot preserves
- ¼ tsp Morton kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom pods
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- grated zest from ½ orange
- grated zest from ½ lemon
- 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tbsp orange juice
Instructions
- Roughly chop the dates, figs and apricots, removing any woody stems or ends. Add them to a food processor along with the hazelnuts and pistachios, and pulse to chop coarsely, taking care not to pulverize the mixture into a paste. It’s ok if some of the nuts remain whole. Set aside.
- Add the apples and onion to a large saucepan with the vinegar, wine and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Cook until the onions are translucent but the apples still hold their shape, 6-8 minutes.
- Scoop everything from the food processor into the saucepan with the onions and apples; add the honey, apricot preserves salt, spices and zests. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the dried fruit has softened and absorbed the juices from the pan and the liquid has reduced to a point where it’s no longer bubbling. When you give it a taste, the flavor should be warm with fruit, alive with spice, with just a savory note in the background. The apples should still have some body to them.
- Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature before stirring in the orange and lemon juice.
Notes
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for several days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: One-pot
- Cuisine: Holiday
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