Easter recipes: Starters, main courses and desserts for your Easter feast

From roast lamb to rhubarb tart and everything in between 

These easy Easter options will impress without any stress.

Starters

Parsnip and fennel soup

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

In this soup the natural sweetness of parsnip combines beautifully with the delicate aniseed flavour of fennel, producing a smooth, velvety and elegant dish

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion

• 4 medium parsnips

• 2 large fennel bulbs, stalks removed

• 1 stick of celery

• 15g fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 70g butter

• sea salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1.5l vegetable stock

• 200ml milk

• To serve:

• fresh cream

• fresh fennel fronds

Method

1. Peel the onion and parsnips. Chop finely, together with the fennel bulbs and celery, to roughly the same size dice. Roughly chop the parsley leaves.

2. Melt the butter in a large pot or casserole dish. Add the onion, parsnips, fennel and celery, and season well with salt and pepper. Stir so that everything in the pot is well coated in the butter.

3. Construct a cartouche by cutting a circle of greaseproof paper which perfectly covers the inside of your pot. Press this down on the vegetables, sealing them in to cook. Put the lid on the pot and cook for around 10 minutes on a gentle heat. Check and stir at least once to make sure nothing catches them on the bottom.

4. Meanwhile, in another pot, heat up your vegetable stock until it comes to the boil. This will shorten the cooking time considerably.

5. When it’s boiling, remove the cartouche from the other pot and pour your hot stock over the vegetables, stirring the contents to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.

6. Simmer on a medium heat for around 20 minutes until the vegetables are completely soft and tender.

7. Add the milk and parsley, and blend with a stick blender until completely smooth and creamy.

8. Check the seasoning and serve with a swirl of cream and some fennel fronds sprinkled on top of each bowl.

Rebooted Caesar salad

I love taking dishes that are almost tragically ‘unhip’ and with some quality ingredients and newer techniques, making a dish smart and fun again. Especially something like a Caesar salad which everybody loves!

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• For the Caesar:

• A head of large romaine lettuce or 2 heads of baby gem

• Aged Parmesan, grated, for garnish

• 2 anchovy fillets (Boquerones are best)

• 50g Lough Neagh smoked eel

• For the dressing:

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1¼ tsp white wine vinegar

• 1 black garlic clove

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 10g Parmesan, grated

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 dash Tabasco

• A pinch of black pepper

• 120ml vegetable oil

• For the Pangrattato:

• 250g stale sourdough, roughly blended

• 100g guanciale or high-quality smoked bacon, diced as finely as possible

• A splash of extra virgin olive oil

• Zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. To make the dressing, it is essentially the same process as making a mayonnaise. Place the egg yolk, vinegar, black garlic, eel and anchovy into a food processor and blend until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing reaches a thick consistency and add the final ingredients until the dressing reaches the taste you like.

2. To make the Pangrattato, add the guanciale (or high-quality smoked bacon, if using) to a cold pan and allow it to crisp up slowly and the fat render well from the meat. As soon as it crisp, remove it with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. Add the chopped sourdough to the pan of rendered fat and allow to crisp, just like croutons, and add the lemon zest and leave to one side until ready to finish the dish.

3. To finish the dish, take the lettuce and break into individual leaves, wash and dry the leaves.

4. Generously dress each leaf with a handsome amount of the Caesar dressing, a handful of the Pangrattato and a large grating of aged parmesan. Rebuild the leaves on a plate, each one back on top of the other and finish the top layer with the still crisp guanciale, a few Boquerones anchovies, 5-6 pieces of smoked eel, and cover this final layer with the remaining croutons and a final grating of Parmesan.

Oysters with herb dressing

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Irish oysters with rice wine vinegar and fresh herbs make a delicious, simple starter

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 6-12 fresh Irish oysters

• 125ml rice wine vinegar 

• handful of roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley 

• handful of roughly chopped chervil 

• 1 medium shallot, finely diced 

• juice of ½ lemon 

• pinch of sea salt

• pinch of black pepper

• lemon wedges, to serve 

Method

1. Shuck the oysters, being extremely careful not to stab yourself in the palm of your hand. It is best done with a proper oyster shucker.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, herbs, shallot, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper.

3. Place in a small bowl with a teaspoon. Serve with the oysters on a wooden board, spooning a little dressing over the oysters before eating.

Main Courses

Roast lamb with gravy

recipe by:Darina Allen

Young spring lamb is sweet and succulent and needs virtually no embellishment, apart from a dusting of sea salt, pepper and fresh mint sauce

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 25 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 40 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb – about 2.7kgs

• sea salt

• freshly ground pepper

• For the gravy:

• 600ml

• lamb or chicken stock

• a little roux 

• salt

• freshly ground pepper 

Method

1. Remove the aitch bone from the top of the leg of lamb or ask your butcher to do it for you. This makes it so much easier to carve later. Then saw off the knuckle from the end of the leg. Season the skin with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer into a roasting tin.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

3. For rare, roast for 1¼-1½ hours; for medium and well done, roast for 1½-1¾ hours. When the lamb is cooked to your taste, remove the joint to a hot carving dish.

4. Rest the lamb in a low oven at 50-100°C for 10 minutes before carving.

5. Meanwhile make the gravy. Degrease the meat juices in the roasting tin, add the stock. Bring to the boil and whisk in a little roux, just enough to thicken slightly. Taste and allow it to bubble up until the flavour is rich enough. Correct the seasoning and serve hot with the lamb, roast spring vegetables and lots of crusty roast potatoes.

Slow-roasted shoulder of lamb

recipe by:Darina Allen

The flavour of lamb shoulder is sweet and juicy - slow-roasted and delightfully tender, this dish is worth the wait

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 shoulder of lamb (3.3-3.6kg) on the bone

• extra virgin olive oil

• salt

• freshly ground pepper

• For the gravy:

• 600ml homemade lamb or chicken stock

• roux, optional

Method

1. Score the skin of the meat in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife. Sprinkle the meat with salt and freshly ground pepper and drizzle with olive oil, roast in a low oven 140°C in the usual way for 6-7 hours – this gives a delicious juicy succulent texture. Alternatively cook in a moderate oven 180°C for 2-2½ hours. Carve it into thick slices.

2. Serve with light gravy. To make the gravy, spoon the fat off the roasting tin. Add the stock into the remaining cooking juice. Boil for a few minutes, stirring and scraping the pan well, to dissolve the caramelised meat juices – I find a small whisk ideal for this. Allow to thicken with a very little roux if you like.

3. Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary. Strain and serve the gravy separately in a gravy boat. Serve with new potatoes and a garden salad with edible spring flowers.

Roast celeriac steaks with celeriac purée, sauteed greens, caramelised leeks and toasted nuts

Celeriac is the perfect vegetable to cook as a steak. It's flavour is greatly enhanced by roasting, and when served with greens and toasty nuts is a wonderfully festive meal.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• ½ celeriac cleaned and sliced into steaks

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Big pinch sea salt flakes

• ½ celeriac peeled and cut into cubes

• 2 large leeks, sliced and cleaned

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Pinch sea salt

• For the purée:

• 3 tbsp natural yoghurt

• 1 tsp sea salt and black pepper

• ½ tsp garlic granules

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Squeeze lemon juice

• ½ the cooked leeks

• For the sautéed sprouts and greens:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 200g sprouts, sliced into quarters

• 100g greens of choice

• Juice ½ lemon

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Big pinch sea salt flakes and black pepper

• Toasted hazelnuts

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Cut half the celeriac up into steaks.

2. Add to a large roasting pan with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn. Continue to roast for a further 20 -25 minutes or until the veg is cooked and golden brown. Remove from the oven.

3. To cook the leeks, add the oil and chopped leeks to a frying pan and fry gently for 10 minutes until soft and caramelised.

4. Set aside half for the purée. Put the cubed celeriac into a pan of boiling salted water and boil for 15 minutes or until tender.

5. Drain and set aside.

6. Now add it along with all the other purée ingredients to your food processor and blitz until very smooth and creamy.

7. To cook the sprouts and greens, add the olive oil to a frying pan along with sprouts, fry for 2-3 minutes until a little tender then add the greens.

8. Fry for a further minute until soft then add in the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.

9. To serve, top the purée with the celeriac streaks, greens, caramelised leeks and toasted hazelnuts.
   
   My Vegan Year by Niki Webster published by Welbeck is out now, find more of Niki's recipes at rebelrecipes.com

Side dishes

Ottolenghi’s cauliflower roasted in chilli butter

recipe by:Darina Allen

Cauliflower is a humble vegetable, but if you feed it with oil or butter and slow-cook it, it will develop an intense sweetness and depth

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 2 large whole cauliflowers, with leaves (1.9kg)

• 2 onions, peeled and cut into eighths

• 8 red chillies, whole with a vertical slit cut into them

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

• Salt

• For the chilli butter:

• 120g unsalted butter, melted (or 120ml olive oil, if you want to keep it vegan)

• 110ml olive oil

• 1 ¼ tbsp red bell pepper flakes

• 2 ½ tsp tomato paste

• 1 ¼ Urfa chilli flakes

• 90g rose harissa (adjust according to the brand you are using)

• ¾ tsp Aleppo chilli flakes (or 1/3 tsp regular chilli flakes)

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 ½ tsp caster sugar

Method

1. Trim the leaves at the top of each cauliflower, so that about 5cm of the actual cauliflower is exposed. Cut both cauliflowers into quarters lengthways, making sure the leaves remain attached at the base.

2. Fill a very large pan (large enough to fit all the cauliflower quarters) with well-salted water and bring to the boil.

3. Once boiling, blanch the cauliflower quarters for 2 minutes, weighing them down with a lid a little smaller than the pan to ensure they stay submerged. Transfer to a colander to drain well. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

4. Mix all the ingredients for the chilli butter together in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place the cauliflower quarters, onions and chillies on a very large, parchment-lined baking tray and pour over the chilli butter. Carefully mix to make sure everything is very well coated (gloved hands are best for this). Arrange the cauliflower quarters so they are spaced apart as much as possible; one of the cut sides of each quarter should face down, so the leaves are exposed.

5. Roast for 30 minutes, baste well, then turn the heat down to 170°C and continue to roast for another 35-40 minutes, basting twice, until the cauliflower is very well browned and the leaves are crispy.

6. Transfer everything to a platter, spooning over the remaining chilli butter and browned aromatics from the baking tray. Serve at once, with the lemon wedges alongside.
   From Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi

Potato gratin

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

This creamy side dish with delicate, thinly sliced potato is delicious with roast meat and fresh salad

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 1.1kg potatoes thinly sliced

• 110g Cheddar, grated

• 55g Parmesan, grated

• 55g butter, cut into small pieces

• salt

• pepper

• 500ml cream

• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic

Method

1. Heat oven to 190°C and lightly butter a gratin dish.

2. Put a layer of potatoes in the dish and sprinkle on some cheese and pieces of butter. Continue until all the potato is used.

3. Mix cream, salt, pepper and garlic in a jug and pour over the potatoes

4. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, cover with tinfoil and bake for an hour.

5. Remove tinfoil and bake for about 15 minutes until bubbling and nicely browned

6. Leave it set in the dish for about 15 mins before serving.

Braised red cabbage

recipe by:Darina Allen

This red cabbage can be made several days ahead or frozen for several weeks.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 450g Irish red cabbage

• 450g Irish cooking apples (Bramley’s Seedling)

• 1 tbsp wine vinegar

• 120ml water

• 1 level tsp salt

• 2 heaped tbsp sugar

Method

1. Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Examine and clean it if necessary. Cut in quarter, remove the core and slice the cabbage finely across the grain. Put the vinegar, water, salt and sugar into a cast-iron casserole or stainless steel saucepan. Add the cabbage and bring it to the boil.

2. Meanwhile, peel and core the apples and cut into quarters (no smaller). Lay them on top of the cabbage, cover and continue to cook gently until the cabbage is tender, 30-50 minutes approx. Do not overcook or the colour and flavour will be ruined. Taste for seasoning and add more sugar if necessary.

3. Serve in a warm serving dish.

Desserts

Baked rum and raisin cheesecake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

A buttery, dark chocolate digestive base is topped with a creamy filling, dark rum-soaked raisins and plenty of chopped nuts to decorate

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the raisins:

• 150g raisins

• 90ml dark rum

• For the base:

• 120g dark chocolate digestive biscuits, crushed

• 80g digestive biscuits, crushed

• 80g butter, melted

• ½ tbsp golden caster sugar

• melted butter, for brushing

• For the topping:

• 900g cream cheese

• 3 tbsp plain flour

• 220g golden caster sugar

• 3 eggs and 1 extra yolk

• 200ml sour cream

• To decorate:

• 100g mixed nuts, roasted and chopped

• 20g digestive biscuits, crushed

Method

1. Soak the raisins in the rum for at least an hour until they are soft and puffed up.

2. Line a 9 inch spring form cake tin and preheat your oven to 170°C.

3. Stir the chocolate and regular digestive biscuits with the melted butter and sugar and press into the base of the tin. Bake for ten minutes then remove and set aside. Once it has cooled brush the inside of the tin with melted butter.

4. Whisk the cream cheese with the flour, caster sugar and eggs. Add in the sour cream and once combined stir in the rum and raisins. Scoop the mixture into the tin and smooth out the top.

5. Turn up the oven to 200°C and bake your cheesecake for ten minutes. Reduce the temperature to 90°C and continue baking for a further 30 minutes, depending on your oven. The top should be almost solid with a very slight wobble in the centre. Allow to cool in the tin then gently remove.

6. Mix the roasted nuts and biscuits together and sprinkle them around the top of the cake before serving.

Pavlova with salted caramel sauce

recipe by:Darina Allen

Add some festive spirit to your caramel sauce by adding rum, brandy or whiskey to add a flavour of depth to this light, airy and smooth pavlova

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Australian

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature

• 1 tsp salt 

• 310g caster sugar 

• 2 tsp cornflour 

• 2 tsp white malt vinegar

• For the salted caramel sauce: 

• 250g caster sugar 

• 4 tbsp water 

• 140ml cream 

• ½ tsp sea salt 

• 50g butter 

• To serve: 

• flaked almonds and chopped hazelnuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 130°C.

2. Put egg whites and salt into a very clean mixing bowl. Whisk lightly until the colour begins to change.

3. Add half the caster sugar and whisk until stiff. Turn the speed on the mixer down and add the rest of the sugar a tablespoon at a time.

4. Add cornflour and beat, add vinegar and beat.

5. Cut three squares of parchment for your three baking trays and cut each piece of paper in two. Lightly grease. Scoop mixture on to parchment and make an indentation in the centre and swirl the edges.

6. Cook in a heated oven for 15 minutes at 130°C. Then reduce the heat to 120°C. Cook for 1½-2 hours. Watch carefully so it does not get too brown (if you have a glass door) but do not open the oven.

7. When the meringue is done it should slide off the baking tray onto a plate. You can then pull the paper gently out from underneath on both sides. Because it is cut in two it should pull away easier.

8. To make the sauce, put the caster sugar and water into a large heavy saucepan, stir and allow the sugar to melt. Turn up the heat and allow it to bubble until it turns golden. Stir in the cream, butter and salt.

9. Fill between each layer of meringue with cream and drizzle with the caramel sauce. I also add a selection of toasted almonds and hazelnuts to add a bit of bite and their bitter note counteracts some of the sweetness.

Rhubarb and mascarpone tart

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

As beautiful as it is delicious, this tart is always well received.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 40 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the pastry:

• 225g flour

• 140g cold butter, cut into cubes

• 55g caster sugar

• 1 egg, lightly beaten and an extra egg white

• For the topping:

• 600g thin rhubarb stalks, trimmed

• 40g golden caster sugar

• the zest of an orange and 1 tbs of juice

• For the filling:

• 300g mascarpone

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp honey

• 200ml cream, whipped

Method

1. To make the pastry: rub the cold butter into the flour until it looks like rough breadcrumbs — try not to over mix.

2. Stir the sugar into the egg, mix it lightly until it begins to dissolve. Add this to the flour mixture with a fork. Bring everything together with your hands then wrap it in parchment and rest the pastry in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight if you wish.

3. Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease and flour a 7-inch tart tin.

4. Roll the pastry into a disc about 3mm thick, it should be larger than your tin. Gently lower it into the tin and allow it to fall into place. Leave a little over the edge: you can tidy this up when you pinch the top of the tart before baking. Place into the freezer or fridge to firm up before baking it blind.

5. Cut a sheet of parchment to fit the pastry case.

6. Place the parchment into the pastry and fill it with baking beans. Pinch the sides so it fits snugly around the edge of the tin. Bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the baking beans and parchment and brush the pastry with some egg white. Place back into the oven for another five minutes without any parchment or beans on top until golden, then set it aside to cool completely.

7. Place all of the ingredients for the rhubarb into a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about five minutes until the rhubarb has softened but still holds a bite. Allow to cool completely.

8. To make the filling: whip the mascarpone with the vanilla and honey then fold in the cream. Spread this over the cold pastry base. Drain the rhubarb from the juice — this can be used as a cordial. Decorate the tart with the stewed rhubarb before serving.

Nude chocolate layer cake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This nude celebration cake is perfect for after dinner

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 40 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the cake:

• 400g butter

• 400g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

• 40ml strong coffee

• 80ml brandy

• 150mls of buttermilk

• 6 eggs

• ½ tsp bread soda

• 170g plain flour

• 170g self-raising flour

• 370g brown sugar

• 350g caster sugar

• 50g cocoa powder

• For the icing:

• 50g soft butter

• 170g icing sugar

• 150g mascarpone cheese

• To decorate:

• 50g cream

• 40g dark chocolate, broken into small even size pieces

• a few stems of red currants

• some cherries on the stalks

• shavings of dark chocolate, you can make these with a potato peeler

Method

1. Heat your oven to 160°C and line two 8-inch round loose bottom or springform tins with parchment.

2. Melt the butter, chocolate, brandy and coffee over a low heat and add 130mls of water.

3. Beat the buttermilk with the eggs and bread soda.

4. Mix the flours, sugars and cocoa powder.

5. Mix everything together and divide the mixture between the two prepared tins.

6. Bake for one hour and twenty minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about twenty minutes then gently turn out onto a wire rack.

7. Beat the butter and sugar for the icing until smooth and stir in the mascarpone until combined.

8. To make the ganache heat the cream until shivering, take it off the heat and stir in the chocolate pieces until they have melted. Set it aside to cool but so that it still can just about flow.

9. Slice each cake into two discs, neaten them up if needed. The cakes may have risen slightly in the centre, you can gently cut this dome off. It also works best if you place the cakes upside down, that way the top has a nice smooth surface and a sharper edge. Spread a layer of icing on the top of each disc. You can place supports into the cake to make sure it stands up well. Place each disc on top of the other with the supports through the centre. Pallet a thin layer of the icing around the side. Smooth it out with a scraper until you can see the “nude” cake below. Place into the fridge to firm up the icing.

10. Pour a thin layer of the cooled ganache over the top and gentle spread it until a drip or two starts to go over the edge. You just need to nudge it as it will continue to flow. Place the fruit and chocolate shavings on top.

For more Easter recipes check out our Easter Food Collection on iefood