The Easter Recipe Roundup 🐇

For your Sunday table consideration (plus an exciting announcement!)

Let me start by saying how much I love Easter. I love the pastel colors, the chocolate, the egg hunts, the dressing up, etc. More importantly, I love that it’s the first big food holiday of the year. New Year’s is all about champagne and snacks, and Valentine’s Day is about small, romantic dinners, but on Easter… we get to really eat. I had so much fun planning and filming this year’s recipe lineup, and even if you don’t observe the holiday, I think there’s something in here for everyone.

Also, the Easter Bunny left one more surprise this year- this Sunday, I’ll be sharing my first long form YouTube video! I’m taking you through hosting my entire Easter lunch from start to finish- recipe planning, shopping, all the prep work, the table setting, and the party day. It’s been so fun to experiment with this format creatively, and I’m thinking of it like my own little cooking show! I’m so excited to see where this goes, but for now I’m committing to a new episode every other Sunday. This week’s drops on Sunday April 20th at 6am CST! Be sure to subscribe so you can get notified, and I’ll see y’all over there!

Now, onto the recipes!

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes

• 3 large shallots

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 3 garlic cloves, smashed

• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 8oz shredded Gruyère cheese

• 1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional)

Instructions:

Add the cream, dijon, smashed garlic, fresh thyme, grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to medium saucepan and place it over low heat. Allow the cream to gently heat up and steep while you prep the potatoes and shallots. Slice the potatoes and shallots very thin using a sharp knife or mandolin slicer.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter a baking dish. Make small stacks of the sliced potatoes and sliced shallots, and arrange them in the bottom of the dish, stacked vertically. Do your best to make sure the shallots are somewhat evenly distributed. Then, take small handfuls of the shredded Gruyère and tuck then in between the potatoes and shallots, using about half of the cheese.

Remove the cream from the heat and strain to remove the garlic and thyme sprigs. Pour the cream over the potatoes, then top with the remaining Gruyère cheese and the parmignao . Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 40-50 minutes. Then, remove the foil, and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are completely tender and the top is well browned. Allow to cool briefly, then garnish with fresh chives and serve.

Whole Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and trimmed

• 1 cup brandy

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• Zest of 1 orange

• Juice of 2 oranges

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced thin

• 4 whole cloves

• 1 star anise

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 Tbsp butter

Instructions:

Place the carrots into a pot. In a separate bowl, combine the brandy, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and star anise and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the glaze over the carrots, then place the pot, covered, over a low heat until the carrots are almost tender, about 25 minutes. Check them every so often to make sure nothing it burning on the bottom of the pot. (If you’re using a gas stove, the alcohol in the glaze may flambé, so keep an eye on it.)

Once the carrots are tender, remove the lid, and allow the glaze to simmer and reduce, about another 8-10 minutes. Turn the heat off, add the butter, and more salt and pepper if desired, and gently toss the carrots.

Lamb Chops with Spicy Chimichurri

Ingredients:

• 4-6 single cut lamb chops

• 1 Tbsp neutral oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 2 smashed garlic cloves

For the Chimichurri:

• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley

• 2 Tbsp chopped mint

• 2 Tbsp chopped chives

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 Tbsp chopped Calabrian chilis

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Remove the lamb chops from the fridge about half an hour before cooking. Season them generously with salt on both sides, and set aside while you make the Chimichurri.

Add the chopped parsley, mint and chives to a bowl, then add the garlic, chopped Calabrian chilis, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir or shake to combine and set aside.

To sear the lamb chops, preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until the pan starts gently smoking. Add the tablespoon of neutral oil, and swish it around to coat the bottom of the pan. Pat the lamb chops dry with a paper towel, then season with a little more salt and pepper.

Sear them for about 3 minutes per side, pressing down firmly with a grill press or a heavy pot. After flipping, add the butter and crushed garlic cloves and baste the lamb chops with the butter.

Check the lamb chops with a food thermometer and remove from the pan when they reach about 125-130 degrees internally. Allow them to rest for a few minutes tented with foil.

To serve, arrange the lamb chops on a platter with some Chimichurri on top of each one or in a little bowl on thee ode.

Pea Salad with Bacon Fat Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. Snow peas, washed and julienned

• 10oz frozen peas

• 8oz pancetta

• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced

• 2 Tbsp champagne or white wine vinegar

• 2 Tbsp reserved grease from pancetta

• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Sharp white cheddar cheese, shaved (about 2 oz)

Instructions:

Start by julienning the snow peas. Stack about 2 or 3 peas at a time, and slice them into long, thin strips, and set aside. Cut the pancetta into cubes (if needed), and place into a cold pan. Render the fat from the pancetta over low heat, for about 20-25 minutes. Stir the pancetta and scrape the bottom of the pan every so often to ensure even browning. If the bottom of the pan begins to look dry, add a splash of water to deglaze. While the pancetta is rendering, thinly slice the shallot, and place into a small bowl with the 2 Tbsp champagne vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the meantime, blanch and shock the peas. Bring a pot of water to a simmer, and season generously with salt. While the water heats up, prepare an ice bath off to the side. Drop the julienned snow peas into the simmering water, and blanch them for about 20-30 seconds, then transfer to the ice bath. Remove them from the ice bath and place them onto a baking sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel, or place them directly into a salad spinner. In the same water, blanch and shock the bag of frozen peas as well. Allow the peas to dry or spin them in a salad spinner to remove any excess moisture.

By now, the pancetta should be about done, so reserve the drippings from the pan and place the pancetta on a paper towel lined plate to cool. To make the vinaigrette, take 2 Tbsp of the reserved pancetta fat, then add the vinegar you used to soak the shallots to a small bowl or container. Add 1 Tbsp dijon mustard, and season with black pepper. Shake or whisk to combine. Taste the vinaigrette to see if any more salt is needed, as the pancetta drippings will be quite salty. In a salad bowl, combine the peas, pancetta, sliced shallots and vinaigrette, and toss to combine. Finish with more black pepper and some big shavings of the sharp cheddar cheese.

Mini Ham with Spicy Sweet Tea Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1.5 to 2lb fully cooked ham

• 1 cup brewed sweet tea

• 4-5 wide strips of orange zest

• Juice of 2 oranges

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 in piece ginger, sliced thin

• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper

• 4-5 whole cloves

• 1 whole star anise

• 1 small cinnamon stick

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Wrap the ham tightly in foil, and place on a baking sheet lined with a rack. Pour some water in the bottom of the baking sheet to prevent the ham from drying out. Place the ham in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, just enough to take the chill off from the refrigerator.

In the meantime, make the glaze. Combine the tea, orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, Dijon, Aleppo pepper, clove, cinnamon and Star anise in a bowl and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over low heat on the stove, and allow the glaze to reduce for about 20-25 minutes while the ham reheats. The glaze should be thickened, but still pourable.

Remove the ham from the oven and unwrap it. Increase the oven temperature to 400. Drain off any excess liquid that’s collected in the foil, or transfer the ham to a baking dish. Brush the ham with a generous coat of the glaze and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven and repeat again. Brush the ham one last time and then broil the ham for 1-2 minutes. Take the ham out of the oven, and brush on any remaining glaze. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm.

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If you happen to make any of these recipes, be sure to tag me (@harry.wwallace on Insta!) because I would LOVE to see what you make. <3 For paid subscribers, keep scrolling for a bonus recipe and video, plus printable PDF versions of each recipe here. I’m sharing a really tasty spring risotto that would be a great option for a vegetarian-friendly main course this Easter, or a great weeknight dinner this season.