Fig Haroset for Passover

The first night of Passover is Friday and that means a big seder which means a seder plate. If you’ve never seen a seder plate, it’s a large dish that has a space for each of the important aspects of the meal. There’s an egg which represents fertility and rebirth. The shank bone which represents the lamb’s blood that was placed on each door so death would pass over. The bitter herbs or maror which reminds us of the bitterness the enslaved Jews felt while under the Pharoh’s rule. The vegetable which represents spring time and is often dipped in salt water which represents the tears the enslaved Jews shed.  Finally the haroset which represents the mortar the Jews were forced to use while building the Egyptian structures.

The classic haroset is usually made up of apples, walnuts, cinnamon and a splash of red wine.  I love haroset. The only way I got through the week of Passover when I was a kid (and now) was by eating haroset and matzoh sandwiches. There’s only one problem with haroset, one of its main ingredients is nuts, and as you know Hubs is allergic. So over the years, I’ve had to find alternatives to recipes with nuts in them. Sometimes I’ll use sunflower seeds, sometimes I’ll just leave the nuts out altogether and sometimes I’ll try something completely different. That’s what happened this year.

While I am a big fan of the original apple version, I thought this year I’d try something different that would be just as good but that my nut-phobic hubs could also enjoy. I found the answer on epicurious. They suggested a fig and onion version. Although it’s hard to find figs right now, you can always find dried figs and those worked just as well. But the best news is this haroset was delicious and a nice alternative to the standard apple. It was rich and thick, almost like a jam. So it’s perfect for those haroset and matzoh sandwiches I’ll be eating all next week.

Fig Haroset

Ingredients:

• 1 cup port
• 1 cup dried black mission figs, chopped
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Combine the figs and port in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until port is reduced, about 15 minutes.
2. While the figs simmer, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until carmelized, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 or 3 minutes.
3. In a large bowl combine fig/port mixture and shallots. Serve at room temperature with matzoh.