Easter Recipes

Easter Family Feast

Create the ultimate culinary wow factor with these delicious Easter inspired recipes from Ireland’s top chefs.

Kevin Dundon is one of Ireland’s best known chef’s and a regular on our TV screens, He has cooked for the Queen, President Bush and Bono and served his time at top restaurants in Switzerland and Canada before he was head-hunted to take up the role of executive head chef of the Shelbourne hotel in Dublin. Kevin is now the chef/proprietor of Dunbrody Country House Hotel and Restaurant in Wexford where he also runs a cookery school.

Starter:
Asparagus orzo pasta risotto with Cratloe sheep and lemon

serves 4

A risotto made of pasta, original and delicious with the flavour of this local sheep cheese.

1 tbsp. butter

2 shallots, peeled and finely diced

1 tsp. thyme

16 asparagus, trimmed, halves length way

400g orzo pasta

4 Tbsp olive oil

½ glass dry white wine

700ml vegetable broth /water, warm

3 sprigs oregano or thyme

75g Cratloe sheep cheese

1 lemon zest and juice

salt and pepper to taste

Choose a wide saucepan with a thick base.

On a low heat, slowly melt the butter and add the chopped shallots and thyme and cook very gently until completely softened.

Add the orzo pasta and mix well in to ensure that it does not stick to the base of the pan at this crucial time. Allow the pasta to become glazed and cook without any liquid for 1 minute whilst continuing to stir at all times.

Next add the white wine and again, continue to stir until the wine evaporate.

Then, start to add some of the stock into the pasta (medium-low heat being maintained at all times). Add the stock little by little and never adding the next ladle until the previous one has evaporated. It is vitally important not to rush this process but continue to add all of the liquid until the pasta is plump and tender.

In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the asparagus and fry for 2 -3 minutes, add the herbs and lemon zest. Stop the heat and fold in the risotto.

To obtain a nice creamy risotto, add the cheese now and finish with the juice of lemon.

Serve immediately with additional cheese.

Main Course:

Roast Leg of Lamb with Boulangere Potatoes & Red Wine Reduction

Serves 4 – 6

The red wine reduction really enhances the dish, try adding a spoonful of redcurrant jelly to the reduction for some extra depth of flavour.

1.5Kg – 2 Kg Leg of Lamb

2 – 3 Cloves Garlic

2 – 3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

Salt & Pepper to Season

900g Potatoes (i.e. Roosters, peeled and uniformly sliced)

2 Large Onions, thinly sliced

Salt & Pepper to Season

200ml Chicken Stock/Vegetable Stock

Preheat the oven to 220C/425C/Gas Mark 7.

Place a layer of potatoes in an ovenproof dish, then add a layer of the thinly sliced onions. Continue to layer potatoes and onions, finishing with a layer of potato. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the stock and set aside.

Place the leg of lamb in a large roasting tin. Cut some deep incisions into the lamb and insert slices of garlic and small rosemary sprigs into the incisions. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the lamb into the top rack of the oven and the potatoes into the shelf below, cook for 1 ½ - 1 ¾ hours, the remove from the oven and allow the lamb to rest.

Red Wine Reduction

300ml Red Wine (good quality wine that you would drink)

300ml Beef Stock

1 – 2 Shallots, finely diced

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 knob butter

1 tsp Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to Season

In a small pan sauté the shallots in a little olive oil. Cook until translucent but not browned. Add the red wine and beef stock and seasoning then cook until reduced by half. Add the butter to the sauce to create a glossy finish.

Serve slices of Lamb over the boulangere potatoes and drizzle with a little red wine reduction. Try with some mashed swede or garden peas.

Desserts

Summer berries & Cherry Pavlova
Serves 4

Pavlova:

150g Egg Whites (about 5 egg whites)

300g caster sugar

½ teaspoon of Cornflour

½ teaspoon of white wine vinegar

To Serve

200ml cream, whipped

400g mixed summer fruits

Preheat oven to 100˚C/200F/Gas mark ½

line an oblong baking tray with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites into a spotlessly clean mixing bowl (preferably use a food mixer) and beat on a light speed until beginning to become worthy.

Slowly pour the caster sugar, a little at the time.

When all the sugar has been incorporated, beat for a few more minutes until a thick and glossy texture is achieved.

Add the corn flour and vinegar and whisk until incorporated.

When ready, if the bowl is turned upside down the mixture should remain stationary in the bowl.

Pour the mixture on the tray in a circular shape.

Bake in the oven for 2 hours or until the meringue mixture is very firm to touch but still soft in the middle.

Turn off the oven, leave the door of the oven ajar, and leave the pavlova to cool in the oven.

Serve with some lightly whipped cream topped with Cherries, Blueberries and Strawberries.

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

If you prefer to use a Brownie from the local bakery, feel free to use it!

Serves 6 - 10

Vanilla Custard

400ml milk

200ml cream

1 vanilla pod

6 egg yolks

75g sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

Brownie

350g dark chocolate

350g butter-chopped into pieces

5 large eggs

350g demerara sugar

150g self rising flour

To Decorate:

300ml raspberry jelly set

350g Raspberries

250ml freshly whipped cream

A Selection of Chocolate Truffles and Chocolate pieces - optional

Firstly, prepare the custard. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon, add the seeds to the milk and cream and pour into a large saucepan, bring to the boil.

Meanwhile in a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour together until light and creamy. Pour half of the boiled cream mixture onto the eggs and mix well. Return all the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a low heat until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. It is important to stir the mixture at all times to prevent it from curdling. Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Set aside until cool.

Then prepare the brownie. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 12 inch baking tray with parchment paper. Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl set over simmering water. Beat the eggs and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Fold in the melted chocolate and mix well. Sieve the self-rising flour and gently fold it into the chocolate and egg mixture. Fold in the chopped chocolate with the flour and mix well. Do not over mix as the air will be knocked out of the mixture.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake tin and cook for 35-40 minutes until the centre of the cake feels firm on the surface.

Allow the cake to cool slightly in the baking tray then cut into even sized squares.

Place a layer of the chocolate squares in the base of the bowl, top with some jelly cubes and fresh raspberries, then pour over some custard and repeat until all the brownies and custard have been used.

Set aside to cool, the decorate with some chocolates and raspberries. Before serving spoon some whipped cream on the top and top with some more fresh berries.

Easter Family Feasts