Easter is that unique holiday when the food on the menu differs from all of the other yearly festive meals. Ham or lamb usually define this celebration feast, with a few classic side dishes that capture the spirit of the holiday.
Chef Belinda’s special glaze adds a fresh and flavorful twist to the holiday ham.
Photo by Michael Phillips
BOURBON APRICOT GLAZED HAM
SERVES 10 (WITH LOTS OF LEFTOVERS)
Ham
1 8- to 10-pound spiral-cut smoked or cooked ham
1 cup liquid of your choice (cola, ginger ale, juice, white wine, chicken stock or water)
Glaze
½ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup bourbon
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons grated orange rind/zest (optional)
Leaf lettuce, for garnish
Orange halves, quarters or slices, for garnish
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 F and adjust oven rack to bottom position. Line a large baking pan with foil and insert a rack. With ham sitting on the rack, gently pull apart the slices and pour liquid over ham. Reposition ham flat side down and cover tightly with another larger piece of foil. Cook approximately 15 minutes per pound (about 2½ hours) until temperature on an instant-read thermometer reaches 120–130 F. Note: larger hams will require more cooking time. Meanwhile, prepare glaze.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add preserves, bourbon, syrup, mustard, cinnamon, cloves and orange rind. Stir and simmer for 3–4 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.
Remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 425 F. Turn ham on its side so the slices are exposed. Using a pastry brush, baste ham with glaze and return to oven for 15 minutes. Remove and repeat glaze one more time and return to oven for 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and glaze with remaining mixture and set aside for one hour before serving. If slices start to separate and fall over, use 2–3 long skewers to hold ham intact during the glazing phase. Once ham cools, before serving, remove skewers. Plate on a bed of leaf lettuce garnished with oranges and pomegranate seeds.
Sauteed Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Mushrooms
Green beans don’t normally steal the dinner show, but this delicious recipe is far from normal.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 6–8
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil (more if needed)
1 pound small shallots or cipollinis, peeled and sliced or whole
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons garlic olive oil, divided
1 pound button mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Fresh lemon juice from ½ lemon
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallots and season with salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring only occasionally, until onions are a deep brown, 35–45 minutes. Do not move onions around too much or they will not caramelize. Add more butter/oil if needed, to keep from burning.
While onions are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3–5 minutes. Drain and add water and ice to stop the cooking process. When completely cold, drain, pat dry and set aside.
In another large skillet or saucepan, over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons garlic olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook until brown and all liquid has cooked away, about 10 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon of garlic olive oil, green beans, onions and thyme. Saute 2–3 minutes and adjust seasoning if needed. Toss with lemon juice and serve immediately.
White Sweet Potato and Leek au Gratin
Surprise your friends and family with this delicious twist on the classic potato dish.
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 8
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds leeks, trimmed, halved, white and green parts cut into ¼-inch pieces, rinsed
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups grated Gruyere cheese (more if desired)
3 pounds white sweet potatoes, peeled (or not) and sliced into ¼-inch
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 9-by-9-inch (or 2½ quart) baking dish or gratin dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add leeks, sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring until tender, about 20 minutes. Add pepper, thyme, nutmeg and cream; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
In prepared dish, layer one-third of potatoes, one-third of leek mixture, one-third of cheese and 1 tablespoon chives. Repeat 2 more times. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20–25 minutes until cheese is bubbling and top is golden brown. Let rest 30 minutes before serving.
Coconut Cake
Every great meal needs a great ending and this simple cake is up to the task.
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 12
Cake
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups self-rising flour
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (more if needed to thicken)
7 ounces sweetened flake coconut
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray three 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray; line bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, on medium-high speed, cream butter until fluffy and a pale yellow. Add sugar and cream another 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each. Lower speed and add flour and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and beat well; divide evenly between the three pans. Bake 25–30 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the layers onto cooling racks and let cool completely. Remove parchment from bottom of cake layers.
Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer—or using a handheld mixer—combine cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Lower mixer speed and add sugar; continue mixing until thoroughly combined and perfect consistency for spreading (adding small amounts of additional confectioners’ sugar as needed). Place first cake layer on a cake serving platter and frost; continue with next two layers. Use the remainder of frosting to generously frost the top and sides of cake until entire cake is completely covered. Carefully apply coconut to top and sides using cupped hands or a spatula.
Festive Deviled Eggs
What Easter celebration would be complete without deviled eggs?
Photo by Gina Moore
MAKES 12
6 large eggs, hard-boiled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon or chives)
Sliced olives, for garnish (optional)
Paprika, for garnish
Place eggs in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off heat and cover. Let eggs sit in hot water 12 minutes. Immediately drain and transfer to a large bowl filled with water and ice for at least 15 minutes. Peel and refrigerate until ready to prepare.
Cut in half lengthwise and carefully scoop yolks into a medium-sized bowl. Set egg whites aside. Using a fork, mash yolks. Add mayonnaise, mustard, Tabasco, salt, pepper and herbs and mix thoroughly. Put into a piping bag or quart-size zip-close bag. Snip off one corner of bag and pipe mixture into the egg whites. (Snip small portion initially and increase as necessary.) Add desired garnish and sprinkle with paprika.
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Chef’s tips
What size ham should you buy? Allow one pound per person. This will leave you with lots of leftovers for sandwiches, snacks and repurposing. Ham is economical and versatile. It has a long shelf life (even after cooking) and can even be frozen. And just when you think you have reaped all of its benefits, use the bone to flavor a pot of beans or greens of your choice.
Be careful when adding alcohol to pans and skillets. When adding alcohol or spirits to recipes, do so very carefully. Remove the cooking vessel from the heat source and then add the alcohol, or add to the pan and incorporate it completely before introducing it to the heat source.
How long can you keep boiled eggs in the refrigerator? Peeled or unpeeled hard-boiled eggs will keep in the refrigerator for five days.
Safety alert: Use caution when slicing potatoes and vegetables with a mandoline. Always use caution when slicing vegetables with a mandoline. Either use the finger guard or invest in a pair of cut-resistant gloves. Misuse of this appliance could result in an unplanned emergency room visit.
How to caramelize onions. The caramelization process brings out the natural sweetness in onions. When caramelizing onion, use low heat and do not stir the onions too often. Depending on the amount of onions in the skillet, it could take longer or shorter than recipe parameters. Watch carefully for the “color” indication. Caramelized onions will be a dark brown color.