Easter is the time where we come together with friends and family to celebrate the joys of new life and opportunity. It is also a very important festival for Christians, as they begin their celebrations of Jesus’ miracle of death and resurrection.
Like Christmas Day, Easter is also associated with an abundance of delicious, fresh tasting foods and of course showstopping desserts! This article will explore how to create the perfect Easter Lunch for your guests this year and understand the reason behind them.
We kickstart the menu with starter ideas, including a brightly coloured Radicchio Salad and Chargrilled Asparagus with Burrata…perfect light-bites, but certainly rich in flavour!
We then take centre stage as we delve into a succulent, Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder, accompanied with Hasselback Potatoes. For a vegetarian option, we also showcase our beautifully crispy Vegetable Galette, topped with courgette, asparagus and fresh spring peas.
Ending things on a ‘sweeter’ note, we share our decadent Dark Chocolate Torte, topped with Maldon Salt. A luxurious recipe for Coloured Meringue Kisses is also explored within the article, which makes a perfect gift for a loved one this Easter.
But first and foremost, let’s take a look at the classic recipe of them all…the humble Hot Cross Bun!
Afternoon Snack, Classic Hot Cross Buns
Not only are hot cross buns rich in flavour, but they also contain a rich history! According to Countryfile, a 14th-century monk know to many as Thomas Rocliffe is credited for making the very first hot cross bun. Although made in it’s simplest form, the baked, sweet bread would have contained the traditional raisins as the main filling.
Hot cross buns are traditionally enjoyed over the Easter holidays due to the religious connotations that the bun holds within itself. The piped dough cross symbolises the crucifix in which Christ died upon. The mixed spices and fruits are used to represent the spices that would have been used to embalm Christ after death.
If you enjoy the traditional things in life, we make the ultimate, classic hot cross bun recipe that is easy to follow with great tasting results. However, if you want to take on the classic with a twist, we offer additional flavours to our buns, including a delicious Salted Caramel Hot Cross Bun with Dark Chocolate. Alternatively, if you want to purely satisfy your chocolate cravings, we also offer a rich, Chocolate Hot Cross Bun recipe that can be enjoyed with a warm drink.
Easter Lunch Starter Recipes
Let’s kickoff your Easter Sunday Lunch with fresh tasting, springtime starters! Seasonal ‘light-bites’ are the perfect way of introducing a season of growth, green and goodness to your dinner guests.
Radicchio Salad
An italian delicacy, the radicchio salad is comprised of the red/burgundy vegetable in which belongs to the chicory family, tracing back to the late 1500s. It is believed to have originated in the Veneto region of northern Italy, in the town of Chioggio.
Radicchio’s flavour profile is slightly bitter in taste, which is why we accompany the slicings of apple to add a gentle sweetness to our Radicchio Salad recipe. With a pinch of Maldon Salt, the sweetness is only elevated higher, whilst counteracting the bitterness from the radicchio and rocket. We also add shavings of pecorino and toasted pine nuts to the salad to give a hidden tang of earthiness to the dish.
The dressing can be whipped up in a matter of minutes, with the use of simple ingredients of lemon juice olive oil, walnut oil, cider vinegar and a final pinch of Maldon for that added crunch and fresh intensity…buon appetito!
Chargrilled Asparagus with Burrata and Lemon, Caper and Parsley Oil
The infamous burrata cheese is was invented back in the 1950s, credited to Lorenzo Bianchino, who wanted to look for a way in recycling the leftovers of pasta that spun out of the mozzarella processing, which he combined with fresh cream. He created a ‘basket’ with the spun dough, wrapped securely through the use of a bottleneck technique…creating the glorious burrata that we all know and love today.
Burrata is known as a type of cow’s milk mozzarella. The inside of the cheese is called stracciatella cheese, meaning a mixture of cream and mozzarella cut into small pieces.
With this decadent, soft and creamy cheese – the culinary creations are endless! We’ve paired the cheese with gloriously crisp, chargrilled asparagus’ to give not only an earthy, green bite to the dish, but to add a satisfying crunch. With a gorgeous caper and parsley olive oil dressing, the dish is nearly complete once you add a final pinch of Maldon Salt…a clean, fresh saltiness to elevate the dish.
Easter Lunch Main Recipes
Now that you’ve had a ‘taster’ for Spring, let’s move onto the main events, including a classic lamb dish paired with beautifully crisp hasselback potatoes…simply mouthwatering! If you want to opt in for the vegetarian option, we bake a delicious vegetable galette, packed with fresh, spring greens.
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder
Ever wondered why we eat lamb on Easter Sunday? It’s not to do with seasonality, as ewes are not due to give birth for at least another 2 weeks after Easter.
It’s symbolic. For Christians, the lamb is the symbolisation of Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross for humanity, as Christ was commonly known for being ‘the lamb of God’. The sacrificial lamb is also mentioned in the Old Testament, when God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his son.
Our succulent, Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder is gently laid within a roasting tin, surrounded by the warming flavours of garlic cloves, sprigs of rosemary and Maldon Salt. You should allow the lamb to cook over a 4-5 hour period, where the lamb should be meltingly soft and tender, pulling away from the bone easily. Be sure to use the delicious lamb juices to make up a gravy to serve alongside the lamb!
Baked Hasselback Potatoes Recipe
The name ‘Hasselback’ comes from a certain restaurant based in Stockholm, Sweden, named Hasselbacken. The recipe for the potatoes was introduced in the 1940s, where the technique of thinly slicing down the middle of the potato not only looks impressive to do, it is remarkably easy to follow!
Our deliciously golden hasselback potatoes are drizzled with plenty of juicy, garlic butter to create a tasty exterior and a fluffy centre when baked. This is the perfect side dish for the slow cooked lamb shoulder as the potatoes can soak up the leftover juices from the meat. With a good sprinkling of Maldon Salt, the potatoes gain that added layer of crunch as you bite into the dish.
Galette Pastry Recipe
Are you struggling to find an alternative to the classic roast lamb? We serve a deliciously flaky galette, packed with spring greens including courgette, asparagus and fresh peas.
Known to have been originally created back in the 11th century, our Spring Vegetable Galette recipe is easy to follow due to the simplicity in it’s method. This is because a galette is not like a pie where a top crust or crimped edges is required, this pastry dish is free-form! They are baked on a baking sheet, where the edges of the galette are simply folded over the centre, gently exposing the delicious fillings of your choice.
Easter Lunch Dessert Recipes
Let’s end your Easter Sunday lunch with a selection of deliciously sweet desserts! Choose from our decadent Dark Chocolate Torte with Maldon Salt or our luxurious Coloured Meringue Kisses to really impress your guests and end the Easter banquet on a ‘sugar’ high!
Dark Chocolate Torte with Maldon Salt
Are you chocolate obsessed? This torte will certainly satisfy your cravings!
The roots of the humble ‘torte’ derives from Latin, meaning ‘flat cake’. Originating in Austria, the torte is known to be highly decadent due to it’s rich filling, usually being chocolate!
Our Dark Chocolate Torte is made with a short and buttery dark chocolate pastry and a creamy ganache filling. The sprinkling of Maldon Salt on top of the cake pairs perfectly with the rich, dark chocolate for a sophisticated dessert.
Coloured Meringue Kisses
Did you know the invention of the meringue was invented in 1720 by a Swiss pastry cook named Gasparini. It is from this remarkable invention that causes people to enjoy meringues as small ‘kisses’.
But why are they called ‘kisses’?
It is believed that Queen Elizabeth I was the first to compare the meringue to a kiss, due to it being sweet and light to the touch.
This is why our Coloured Meringue recipe is in the form of kisses, due to being joyfully light, and sweet to the taste! They are easy to store in an airtight container in room temperature – and they make the perfect little snack, or edible treat to decorate cakes.
The Perfect Eater Sunday Lunch
We hope you enjoyed reading this article on how to create a perfect Easter Sunday lunch for your dinner guests.
Make sure you have your Maldon Salt ready for these recipes! If you are running out, please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt.
Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your delicious Easter feasts!