|
Your online resource for all things culinary |
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Easter is a holy day in the Christian faith which celebrates the resurrection of Christ. However, in many Christian countries such as the UK, it is a public holiday and has therefore come to symbolise a time of rebirth to non-Christians. To others, it is just a welcome spring holiday, often coupled with Good Friday thus making a long weekend. When is Easter?Easter Sunday falls the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date and is therefore a moveable date i.e. it is not on the same date each year, unlike Christmas or New Year. The reason for this is.....too complicated to go into here. For ease of reference, and without having to do all the workings, below are the dates for Easter until 2030. Future dates for Easter Sunday
|
There are many foods associated with Easter - some with direct associations and others which simply signify the time of year, some of which were celebratory foods thousands of years ago. Below are just a few.
Eggs
signify new life. The giving of chocolate Easter Eggs in the UK has become a
widespread tradition although in truth the tradition has its roots much further
back in history and was originally a pagan ritual celebrating the advent of
spring.
By the 18th century, the first chocolate Easter eggs appeared in France and Germany and soon spread to the rest of Europe and elsewhere. Certainly in the UK, the giving of chocolate eggs isn't restricted to children and many an adult is disappointed if they don't get at least one!
Passion
Fruit is another food closely associated with Easter, the reason being that
the plant was given it’s name by Christian missionaries who used the flower to
symbolise the “Passion of Christ” i.e. his suffering at the crucifixion, to the
indigenous natives in South America.
When
you look at the flower, it’s easy to see why. The double row of coloured
filaments (the corona) represented either the crown of thorns and a halo; The
ten sepals and petals represented the disciples (apart from Judas and Peter, who
both distanced themselves from Christ prior to the crucifixion; The five
anthers were the five wounds on his body; The three
stigmas the nails; The leaves
represent the spear that the Roman soldiers used to pierce
his side or in some cases the clutching hands of the
soldiers; The tendrils (which you can’t actually see in
this picture) the whips which were used to scourge him.
Easter
is preceded by Lent which is a period of 40 days which signifies Christ's time
in the wilderness. It is traditionally a period of fasting which
ends at Easter with a feast consisting of the rich foods which couldn't be
eaten. The making of Simnel cake was a tradition in the 17th century, when
servant girls would take one home to their mothers as a gift. It is
decorated with 11 marzipan balls signifying the 12 apostles minus Judas, who
betrayed Christ.
Once
again, the eating of hot cross buns stemmed from the Saxon pagan practice of
eating as buns marked with a cross in honour of the goddess Eostre. It is
believed that the bun signified the moon and the cross the moon's quarters.
In Christianity, the cross symbolises Christ's death on the cross - the
crucifixion.
See how to make these scrumptious Chocolate Easter
Cupcakes
For the full sized video and written recipe click
here.
Also check out our Roast Turkey menu with countdown
|
This menu has been designed "to take the heat" out of cooking a celebratory three course meal at Easter. A fully timed count-down follows the menu. Just scroll down to see how easy it's all going to be. We've included check boxes so once you've printed it off, you can tick the boxes once you've completed each stage. Don't forget to print off the recipes too! There are direct links to them in the countdown. |
The Menu A British affair - Serves 4
Apple & Wensleydale Pate served on a bed of mixed salad leaves and drizzled with Walnut oil
* * *
Roast Ham in Stout
with Colcannon Lemon Glazed Carrots Baked Parsnips
* * *
Spiced Pear Trifle
|
Here are just a few other Easter Main Course recipes, For a complete list, go to the search page and type in EASTER Cranberry & Cashew Croquettes (V) Roast Goose with Hazelnut Stuffing |
|
The Countdown Tick the check boxes when you've done the step.
6 hours before serving
£ Make the Apple and Wensleydale Pate, wrap loosely in greaseproof or parchment paper and refrigerate.
£ Make the Spiced Pear Trifle to stage 6, but don't decorate with the almonds. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate.
Have a sit down and a cup of coffee
2 hours before serving |
|
£ Turn the oven on to 200C, 400F Gas mark 4 and leave to warm for 15 minutes.
£ Prepare the Roast Ham in Stout and place in the preheated oven as per step 2 of the recipe.
1 1/2 hours before serving the starter
£ Turn the bacon and baste.
You can use the time between each stage to lay the table, tidy up or whatever. DON'T FORGET THE SERVING CUTLERY AND CRUET SET. You won't have much time after this so it's probably your last opportunity to spruce yourself up for your guests.
50 minutes before serving the starter
£ Turn the bacon and baste.
£ Prepare the vegetables as in step 1 for the Colcannon and set aside.
£ Prepare the carrots and lemon zest as in step 1 for the Lemon Glazed Carrots and set aside. £ Scrub or peel the parsnips allowing 2 small or 1 large per person. If using large ones, cut in half lengthways. Place in a pan of very lightly salted water, bring to the boil then continue to cook for 5 minutes. Drain well then place in a shall oiled baking dish and place in the oven. £ Wash the salad leaves for the Apple and Wensleydale Pate, dry well and arrange between 4 small plates. Leave in a cool place. £ If you haven't laid the table, do it now.
30 minutes before serving the starter £ Drizzle the parsnips with a little olive oil and place in the hottest part of the oven.
25 minutes before serving the starter £ Prepare steps 2, 3 and 4 of the Colcannon recipe. £ Complete steps 3 and 4 of the Roast Ham in Stout recipe. £ Prepare steps 2 and 3 of the Lemon Glazed Carrots recipe. £ Complete steps 5 and 6 of the Roast Ham in Stout recipe. Cover and leave over a VERY LOW heat to keep warm. £ Place the main course plates and serving dishes to warm if desired. £ Baste the Parsnips £ Complete step 5 of the Colcannon recipe £ Make sure the carrots are cooking over a VERY LOW heat, giving the pan a gentle shake. £ Drizzle the pate with a little walnut oil (step 6 of the recipe). SERVE THE STARTER £ Clear the table of the used plates and cutlery. £ Check the carrots, and if there is too much liquid, raise the heat to evaporate it. £ Complete step 4 of the Lemon Glazed Carrots recipe. £ Transfer the parsnips and ham to a large carving platter, pouring a little of the stout sauce over the meat as in step 7 of the Roast Ham in Stout recipe and the transferring remaining sauce to a sauce boat. £ Transfer all the dishes/platters and warmed plates to the dining table. SERVE THE MAIN COURSE Carve the meat once your diners are at the table, allowing them to help themselves to the vegetables.
£ Serve the Dessert at your leisure after decorating with the almonds Spiced Pear Trifle recipe. |
