Hammin Di Pesach
Submitted by cherub
Hammin di Pesach is a traditional Passover lamb stew with chicken meatballs, spinach, and matzo served as a two-course meal. Braised lamb chops and tiny seasoned chicken dumplings simmer together, then split into a main dish and a matzo soup.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
75 minREADY
90 minHammin di Pesach is a traditional Passover dish that delivers two courses from a single pot. Lamb chops braise gently with garlic and parsley alongside tiny chicken dumplings made from ground breast meat, egg, and matzo meal. After simmering low and slow, the pot gets divided: lamb and spinach go to the table as the main course, while the remaining broth gets matzo pieces and becomes a soup.
The chicken dumplings are small on purpose. Tiny balls cook through quickly and soak up the lamb-enriched broth, becoming little flavor sponges with a delicate, nutmeg-scented bite. Shape them small and add them gently so they hold together.
The spinach goes in near the end, just long enough to wilt and absorb some of the braising liquid without turning army green and mushy. Fifteen minutes is all it needs.
Pro Tips
- Brown the lamb lightly in olive oil before adding liquid. Even a quick sear builds flavor in the broth.
- Keep the chicken dumpling mixture well-seasoned. They’ll taste bland if you rely solely on the broth for flavor.
- Break the matzo into bite-sized pieces. Too large and they won’t absorb the broth properly in 5 minutes.
- Let the matzo soup stand off heat for 5 minutes before serving. The matzo softens and the broth settles.
Variations
- Use ground turkey instead of chicken for the dumplings if that’s what you have on hand.
- Add diced carrots or celery to the pot with the lamb for a heartier broth.
- Substitute kale or Swiss chard for the spinach for a sturdier green that holds up to longer cooking.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine ground chicken, 1 tablespoon olive oil, egg, matza meal and 2 tablespoon broth in small bowl.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste and mix well.
In large pot, place the lamb with remaining oil, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and lightly brown for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add garlic, parsley and 1 cup of warm water.
Form many tiny bowls with the ground chicken mixture and gently add to pot with lamb.
Cover and simmer 1 to ½ hours.
Add spinach and 1 Tsp salt and simmer, covered, 15 minutes longer.
Transfer the lamb chops, half the spinach and most of the gravy to a hot serving dish and keep warm.
Add remaining broth to pot and bring to a boil. Add matza pieces and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and let stand 5 minutes before serving as a soup. Serve the lamb and spinach as the main dish.
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