Easter for us is usually spent at Safety Beach with my family, either that, or camping somewhere. We have only ever spent one Easter at home, and that was the year we built our barn in 4 days. It felt very strange to wake up here this year.
Good Friday for us usually involves a big mussel pot, filled with white wine, crushed tomatoes, lots of garlic, parsley and a big loaf of crusty bread, we share it with my family and we drink wine and sit around a table out the from of someones caravan. This year we sat on the couch and ate chicken.. On Sunday theres an egg hunt, a big slow roasted lamb and more wine and celebrating being together. I certainly did miss seeing our families this year, but its not all bad. We decided to use these few days off to get to work starting our Potager Garden.
I still wanted easter to feel like Easter, so I set up a very simple little Easter table for lunch... which then turned into dinner because we were so busy outside with the fence. I cut some greenery from one of our trees, I didnt have any flowers so I improvised and put our neighbours eggs in a basket to bring a touch of easter.
On Thursday I made easter bunny milkshakes to get us into the easter spirit, and on Sunday for lunch I made beef wellington, with a dessert of white chocolate mouse egg cups. Enjoy the recipes below!
EASTER BUNNY MILKSHAKES
INGREDIENTS - Chocolate bunnies, foil intact - Milk shake or smoothie, to serve (I used vanilla ice-cream, milk and milo to make mine) - Whipped cream, to serve - 100s and 1000s, to serve
- Colourful Straws
METHOD
- Step 1 Peel a little foil away from the top of each chocolate bunny. Use a clean, hot sharp knife to remove the top of the bunny ears on an angle.
- Step 2 Fill each chocolate bunny with your favourite milkshake or smoothie blend. Top with whipped cream and 100’s and 1000’s. Serve immediately.
This is easy and pie, and Heath loved it!
BEEF WELLINGTON WITH ROSEMARY KIPFLER POTATOES
This one is a Jamie Oliver recipe (AKA, GOD)
INGREDIENTS
1 kg centre fillet of beef , trimmed (the timings below work perfectly for a fillet of roughly 10cm in diameter)
olive oil
2 knobs of unsalted butter
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
600 g mixed mushrooms
100 g free-range chicken livers , (cleaned) - i didnt use these as my butcher didnt have any.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon truffle oil , (optional)
50 g fresh breadcrumbs
1 x 500 g block puff pastry ( I make my own puff pastry, ive included the recipe for this below, its very simple)
1 large free-range egg
FOR THE GRAVY
2 onions
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
100 ml Maderia wine
1 heaped teaspoon English mustard
2 heaped teaspoons plain flour , plus extra for dusting
600 ml organic beef stock , (hot)
METHOD
Preheat a large frying pan on a high heat. Rub the beef all over with sea salt and black pepper. Pour a good lug of oil into the pan, then add the beef, 1 knob of butter and 1 sprig of rosemary.
Sear the beef for 4 minutes in total, turning regularly with tongs, then remove to a plate.
3. Wipe out the pan and return to a medium heat. Peel the onion and garlic, then very finely chop with the mushrooms and put into the pan with the remaining knob of butter and another lug of oil.
4. Strip in the rest of the rosemary leaves and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft and starting to caramelise, stirring regularly.
5. Toss the livers and Worcestershire sauce into the pan and cook for another few minutes, then tip the contents onto a large board and drizzle with the truffle oil (if using).
6. Finely chop it all by hand with a big knife, to a rustic, spreadable consistency. Taste and season to perfection, then stir in the breadcrumbs (you can use pancakes to line the pastry and absorb the juices, but I prefer using breadcrumbs like this).
7. Preheat the oven to 210°C/425°F/gas
8. On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the pastry to 30cm x 40cm. With one of the longer edges in front of you, spread the mushroom pâté over the pastry, leaving a 5cm gap at either end and at the edge furthest away from you – eggwash these edges.
9. Sit the beef on the pâté then, starting with the edge nearest to you, snugly wrap the pastry around the beef, pinching the ends to seal.
10. Transfer the Wellington to a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, with the pastry seal at the base, and brush all over with eggwash (you can prep to this stage, then refrigerate until needed – just get it out 1½ hours before cooking so it’s not fridge-cold).
11. When you’re ready to cook, heat the tray on the hob for a couple of minutes to start crisping up the base, then transfer to the oven and cook for 40 minutes for blushing, juicy beef – the two end portions will be more cooked, but usually some people prefer that.
12. For the gravy, peel and roughly chop the onions and put into a large pan on a medium heat with a lug of oil and the thyme leaves. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in the jam and simmer until shiny and quite dark.
13. Add the Madeira, flame with a match, cook away, then stir in the mustard and flour, gradually followed by the stock. Simmer to the consistency you like, then blend with a stick blender and pass through a sieve, or leave chunky.
14. Once cooked, rest the Wellington for 5 minutes, then serve in 2cm-thick slices with the gravy, steamed veggies and kipfler potatoes.
FOR THE PUFF PASTRY
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cup very cold butter (salted) (262 grams)
1/2 cup very cold water (118 grams)
1/4 teaspoon salt**
2 cups all-purpose flour (260 grams)
METHOD
Using a food processor, fitted with the metal blade, add flour and salt to the bowl, then add 3/4 cup (170 grams) cold butter cut in cubes and pulse until butter is absorbed (about 10 to 12 one second pulses), then add the remaining cold butter (cubed) and pulse two or three times (no more) to combine, add the cold water and pulse four or five times just until the dough comes together to form a ball (really important not to over process).
On a lightly floured surface place dough and knead lightly approximately 10 times. With a lightly floured rolling- pin (lightly flour the dough so it doesn't stick) roll into a rectangle approximately 12 x 18 inches (30 x 45 centimeters).
Fold the dough in half and then half again and one last time, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours (I left mine in the fridge for two hours).
WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE EGG CUPS
INGREDIENTS
250 g Cadbury white chocolate
3 Medium sized chocolate easter eggs - for cups
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs large separated
375 ml cream
Small chocolate eggs and strawberries - for decorating
Method
Melt white chocolate, vanilla and milk in a double boiler, or use a bowl over a saucepan of water, over low heat, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
Cool chocolate mixture for 5-10 minutes.
Whilst chocolate is cooling, whip cream in a separate bowl. Once chocolate has cooled, add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture. Fold the chocolate mixture through the cream.
In a clean, dry stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites through chocolate mixture.
Cut the tops off your easter eggs, melt the tops and place on a baking tray with baking paper, sit int he fridge for 1/2 minutes until starting to just go hard, remove from fridge and place your eggs on-top of these - this will allow them to stand up.
Place mixture into individual egg cups.
Add topping. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until set.
Add your decorations, serve and enjoy!
I hope you all had a happy easter at home with your families
L xx
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