Holy Week is just around the corner and surely you’re already thinking of Easter recipes and other things you can do to celebrate the holiday. It’s always a good idea to go with classic time-tested Easter recipes such as roasted ham and deviled eggs. Below are some traditional dishes with a bit of twist you can serve on Easter Sunday.
Deviled Easter Egg Chicks
Surely, you’ll have lots of eggs left after painting and decorating the ones you’ll hide for the Easter egg hunt. Make good use of these leftover eggs by whipping out one of the most popular Easter recipes around – deviled eggs. Every family has their own way of preparing their deviled Easter eggs recipes.
Put a fun twist to your recipe by making them look like chicks. They’re pretty cute as long as you don’t realize these eggs would have been actual chicks if, you know, they weren’t cooked (Yes, I went there).
Boil and peel as many eggs as you wish. The boiled eggs look great as is though you can dip them in a solution of half cup of water and a few drops of food color.
Slice off the bottom part of the wider bottom of the egg. This will let the egg or “chick” stand up. You can skip this part if you wish and just arrange them later in a way that they look like they’re standing up.
Cut the top third part of the egg with a sharp knife. You need this to be sliced perfectly so better sharpen that knife. Remove all the egg yolks and mash them in a bowl using a fork. For every 6 eggs, add 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Season with ground black pepper then mix well.
Scoop some the mashed yolks into the bottom part of the egg white. Cap the mound of egg yolk with the top half of the egg white. Fashion a beak out of a piece of carrot and eyes from black olives. Place them accordingly to the exposed egg yolk to make the face. Chill for half an hour before serving.
Slow Roasted Sausage-Stuffed Leg of Lamb
For the main course, go with traditional Easter recipes such as stuffed leg of lamb.
Preheat the oven to 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 1 teaspoon minced rosemary and 2 cloves minced garlic to 3/4 pounds of pork sausage and mix thoroughly.
Remove the string and unroll the leg of lamb. Open the joint with the skin side down. You may want to slice of part of the leg meat so it lies flat on the surface. Trim excess fat, as well.
Slice down the side of the bone and season the inside with salt and pepper. Add the sausage mixture to the lamb. Make sure they’re spread evenly. Roll and tie once more. Season the outside of the lamp with more salt and pepper.
Place the leg of lamb on a pan and put inside the oven. Cook for half an hour. Remove the pan and lower the heat of the oven to 300 degrees.
Slice 1 to 2 large onions as well as some carrots. Lift the roast and add the onions, carrots and 1 pint lamb stock into the pan. Place the roast back and the pan into the oven. Let it cook for 3 to 4 hours more. Check and add water if the pan starts to dry. Make sure you have at least an inch of liquid in the pan.
Once the roast is tender, remove the lamb form the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Remove the string and slice against the grain before serving.
Lamb Stew
Another one of those classic Easter recipes, lamb stew goes well with practically any other dish you want to serve on this special holiday.
To make a traditional lamb stew, start by sautéing 1/2 pound of diced thickly sliced bacon. Set the bacon and the fat aside. In a large bowl, toss 6 pounds boneless shoulder lamb (cut into 2-inch pieces) in 1/2 cup all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.
Reheat the pan with the bacon fat and brown the lamb pieces. Add oil if necessary. Transfer the meat into a stovetop casserole. With about 1/4 cup of oil left in the pan, sauté 2 cloves finely chopped garlic and 1 large finely chopped onion. Add the garlic and onion to the casserole. Follow that up with the bacon pieces, 4 cups beef stock, and 2 teaspoons sugar.
Cover the casserole and let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Once tender, add 4 cups of 1-inch carrot pieces, 2 large sliced yellow onions, 3 pounds peeled and quartered potatoes, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Re-place the lid and simmer for 20 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Top with chopped parsley before serving.
Danish Easter Cake
What’s an Easter feast without a traditional dessert? Each country has their own specialty when it comes to desserts. Denmark has the traditional Danish Easter cake called paaske kage.
In a bowl, stir 1 envelope of yeast into half cup of lukewarm milk. Add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 125 grams margarine, little by little. The recipe calls for 250 to 300 grams of flour. Add 3/4 of the flour into the mixture. Set aside the rest.
Use a wooden spoon to work the dough until it has combined. Add the rest of the flour into the dough and combine them using your hands. Make sure not to overwork the dough. Put a little flour dusting on top. Allow the dough to rise. Cover with a clean dish-towel for half an hour.
For the fill, mix together 100 grams unsalted butter, 100 grams sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/8 cup raisins, and 1/8 cup candied lemon and orange fruits.
Roll the dough out on a flat surface to let it oblong. Work on the soft dough with a light hand. Spread the fill onto the dough. Fold over the ends of the dough then fold over the short part to make three layers. Cover with a dishtowel and set aside for 30 minutes.
Brush the dough carefully with cold coffee or whisked egg. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons coarse sugar and 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour. Once done, let it cool a bit before serving.
Visit The Gentleman Pirate for more recipes you can serve for different occasions. If you wish to share your own Easter recipes with everybody, please comment below. We’ll be truly grateful.
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