PASSOVER POPOVER SALAD WITH HONEY POPPYSEED DRESSING

Passover Popover Salad with Honey Poppyseed Dressing image

During Passover, we avoid leavened bread, but I wanted to top this spring salad with a carby crouton-like element, so these popovers were born...out of matzo meal and the secret weapon, schmaltz, aka chicken fat, aka liquid gold. They burst with savory chicken flavor and pop up beautifully.

Provided by Molly Yeh

Categories side-dish

Time 2h55m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 23

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Ingredients

1 medium head red leaf lettuce, leaves torn, washed and spun dry
4 large radishes, thinly sliced
4 large asparagus spears, tough stems peeled, thinly sliced on the bias
1 medium (50 grams) shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Honey Poppyseed Dressing, recipe follows, or store-bought is fine
Passover Popovers, Schmaltz and Gribenes, recipe follows
Zest of 1 lemon plus 1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon (17 grams) honey mustard
1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey
1 teaspoon poppyseeds
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (72 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces (226 grams) chicken skin and fat (I used fat/skin from chicken thighs), cut into about 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Vegetable oil, as needed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (120 grams) matzo meal
1/2 cup (80 grams) cake meal
6 large eggs
Flakey salt

Steps:

In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, radishes, asparagus, shallot and chives. Drizzle with some of the salad dressing and gently toss to coat. Place some popovers on the salad as croutons. Garnish with the crispy chicken skin (gribenes). Serve the remaining salad dressing and whole popovers on the side.
For the salad dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice, honey mustard, honey, poppyseeds, salt and several grinds of pepper. Add the olive oil and whisk to emulsify.
For the schmaltz and gribenes: Add 2 tablespoons water to a medium, nonstick pan. Scatter the chicken skin and fat in the pan and season with the salt. Heat over low heat to begin the fat-rendering process, stirring occasionally, until there's a layer of fat in the bottom of the skillet and the pieces have begun to brown, about 20 minutes. Stir and continue to simmer and render the fat until the skin is deep golden and crisp, about 25 to 30 minutes more. Strain the fat and pour it into a liquid measuring cup (this is the schmaltz). Drain the gribenes on a paper towel lined plate. Season lightly with salt.
For the Passover popovers: Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease a 24-cup, mini-popover pan with some of the chicken schmaltz. In the measuring cup with the schmaltz, add enough vegetable oil to yield a total 1/2 cup of fat. Pour into a small saucepan. Add the honey, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Combine the matzo meal and cake meal in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the boiling mixture in a stream until the mixture is smooth and thick. Turn off the mixer and let cool just until the bowl is warm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on high speed and scraping down the bowl in between each addition, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cavity of the muffin tin two-thirds of the way up with batter.
Sprinkle the tops with flakey salt. Bake until the popovers are puffed and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until the popovers are crisp and deep golden, 13 to 15 minutes more. Remove to a rack to cool. The popovers can be served warm or at room temperature.