PASSOVER FOOD: Three fuss-free recipes for your seder

Former New York Times food columnist Alison Roman is now host of the Home Movies series on YouTube, author of four recipe books and an Instagram chef with nearly 800k followers. She recently opened her own pantry store in Upstate New York called First Bloom.

Something from Nothing is Alison’s latest book, featuring over 100 simple, stylish recipes that make the most of what you likely already have in your cupboard. Flavourful and unfussy, they help you to put food on the table faster, which we think makes them perfect for Passover.

Overnight Lamb & Potatoes in White Wine

Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

Serves 6-8

1 x 2.25 kg (4–5 lb) bone-in (or 1.35–1.8 kg/3–4 lb boneless) shoulder of lamb, untied

More in Food

July 15, 2026

WIN: Dinner for two at Villa Bianca Bushey

By Louisa Walters

June 18, 2026

Israeli wine – we knew it was good did we realise it was this good?!

By Tal Sunderland-Cohen

June 15, 2026

‘Whatever people say, no-one denies that Jews and food are a winning combination’

By Louisa Walters

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

900 g (2 lb) waxy potatoes, such as King Edward, peeled or unpeeled, left whole or halved

2 garlic heads, unpeeled, halved widthways

2 lemons, halved widthways

1 bunch fresh oregano, marjoram or thyme, plus more as needed

1 x 750 ml (25 fl oz) bottle dry white wine

olive oil, for drizzling

1–2 handfuls of tender herbs, such as parsley, dill, chives and/or mint, for serving (optional)

1. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Leave in the fridge for 12–24 hours if you’re able.
2. Preheat the oven to 140°C/120°C fan/275°F. Place the lamb in a large heavy-bottomed casserole with a lid.) Scatter the potatoes, garlic, lemons and oregano around the lamb and pour the wine over everything. Give it a good glug of olive oil so that a nice, thick layer of it is floating on top. Cover the pot with the lid (or wrap very tightly with foil if you don’t have a lid).
3. Place in the oven and do not look or peek at it. Do not touch, poke or prod it for at least 10 hours, closer to 12 if your lamb is on the larger side, closer to 8 if boneless. If it goes a little longer, that’s okay. This lamb is resilient. You’ll know the lamb is done when it’s golden brown and shreds easily.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. To serve, transfer the lamb to a large platter (or leave it in the pot) and pull the lamb apart into largish chunks. Spoon all the sauce, potatoes and bits of garlic over the lamb. Top with fresh herbs (if using) and another good pour of olive oil.

Note: Boneless lamb is easier to find, but I promise the bone-in cut is worth seeking out. The bone holds the meat together and seasons the cooking liquid even more deeply – plus, the drama! This lamb can be made 3–4 days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Reheat in a 140°C/120°C fan/275°F oven until the lamb and potatoes are warmed through, 35–40 minutes.

Spiced, Roasted Carrots with Walnuts

Serves 4

2 bunches small carrots (about 450 g/1 lb), unpeeled, tops trimmed

75 g (2½ oz/¾ cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F.
2. For fun and if you feel like it, thinly slice some of the carrots into coins. Halve the remaining ones lengthways, quartering them if they’re especially large or thick (don’t overthink this!) – it’s just nice to have different shapes that lead to different textures once roasted.
3. Toss the carrots, walnuts and olive oil together on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper. Add the cinnamon, coriander, chilli flakes and fennel seeds and toss to coat. Drizzle with more olive oil. Roast, tossing every 15 minutes or so, until the carrots are deeply browned, well past the point of tender and starting to frizzle at the edges, 30-35 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and toss with the raw garlic (the warmth of the carrots will soften the raw bite). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tomato-Poached Fish with Crispy Chilli Oil

Serves 4

60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

450 g (1 lb) small, sweet tomatoes, halved (or one 400g/14 oz tin whole, peeled tomatoes, drained, then crushed by hand)

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fish sauce

575 g (1¼ lb) skinless cod or other white fish, cut into 4 equal pieces

1 handful of coriander, tender leaves and stems

limes or lemons, halved, for serving (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook, swirling the skillet constantly, until they start to toast and turn light golden brown, 2 minutes or so. Add the chilli flakes and swirl to toast for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer the crispy garlic and shallots and all but 1 tablespoon of the oil to a small bowl (the garlic and shallots can sit in the oil – that’s fine).
2. Add the tomatoes to the skillet (if using tinned tomatoes, add them) and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until they burst and start to become saucy and jammy, 5–8 minutes. (Give tinned tomatoes closer to 10–12 minutes to take the tinned edge off.) Add the fish sauce and 360 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups) water, swirling to release any of the bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet.
3. Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened but still nice and brothy, 3–5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Season the fish with salt and pepper and gently lay the pieces in the brothy tomatoes. Cover the skillet (if your skillet has a lid, use that – if not, use a baking tray) and cook until the fish is opaque and just cooked through, 4–6 minutes (slightly longer for a thicker piece of fish, like halibut).
5. To serve, transfer the fish and brothy tomatoes to a large shallow bowl or divide among four bowls. Drizzle with more olive oil and the crispy shallots and garlic. Top with coriander and serve with limes for squeezing.

Something From Nothing is published by Quadrille, £27