Recipe: HAMMIN DI PESACH LAMB MEATBALLS SPINACH FOR PASSOVER

Title: HAMMIN DI PESACH (LAMB, MEATBALLS & SPINACH FOR PASSOVER)
Categories: Meats, Italian, Holiday
Yield: 1 servings

1 Chicken breast (2 halves)
-ground
4 ts Olive oil
1 Egg; slightly beaten
2 tb Matza meal*
8 c Chicken broth
-salt
-freshly ground black pepper
1 ds Nutmeg
2 1/2 lb Lamb,breast of or rib chops
2 Garlic cloves; sliced
2 Parsley, Italian sprigs
-coarsely chopped
1 c -Warm water
2 lb Spinach,cooked and slightly
-drained
4 Matzot;regular, broken into
-large pieces

* Matza meal and Matzots may purchase in some supermarkets and Jewish
grocery stores.

(The word Hammin (or Hammim) is derived from the Hebrew adjective Ham or
warm which describes certain dishes that are kept warm for prolonged
periods of time...In Pitigliano, however Hammin was the classic one-course
meal for Passover that both rich and poor used to make. The only difference
between the versions was the in the cuts of meat used. Poor people used
breast of lamb..and meatballs made with beef(when the cost of ground beef
was a fraction of the cost of chicken.) People who didn't have to worry
about the cost used tiny rib chops from baby lamb and chicken balls."

Combine ground chicken, 1 Tbsp olive oil, egg, matza meal and 2 Tbsp 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 tsp salt and 1/4
tsp pepper and lightly brown for 2-3 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 1/2 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. SERVES: 6-8