If you are looking for Easter dinner menu ideas for the long weekend, we have a stock of recipes to help you out.
Whether you are making a small Easter dinner for two or feeding a large group, we have got you covered.
Nwabisa Lisa’s pickled fish
Ingredients
2 kg Kingklip or hake fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour for dusting
4 peeled onions, sliced in rings
1 1⁄4 cup of oil for frying
1 cup of white vinegar
1⁄2 cup of brown sugar
1 1⁄2 cup of water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp of cumin
2 tbs fish spice
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp of curry powder
2 tbsp of turmeric
6 whole peppercorns
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Method
Mix flour with salt and pepper and fish for spice. Coat your fish with the mixture and deep fry your fish in 1 cup of heated oil for 3 minutes on each side or until it's cooked through. Remove it and place it on a paper towel to drain the oil.
For the sauce
Heat the remaining oil and add your sliced onion on medium heat. Add cumin, coriander, curry powder, turmeric, garlic, salt, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and peppercorns and mix together. Add sugar, vinegar, and water and lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the fish and cover it with the sauce and let it simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Allow it to cool and refrigerate for at least 24-48 hours to allow the fish to absorb the flavours.
Recipe by chef and Fish4Africa ambassador, Nwabisa Lisa.
Hot cross buns
Ingredients
For the buns
320ml milk
50g butter
500g bread flour
1 tsp salt
75g caster sugar
1 tbsp sunflower oil
7g sachet yeast
1 egg, beaten
75g sultanas
50g mixed peel
zest 1 orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the cross
75g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
For the glaze
3 tbsp smooth apricot jam
Method
Bring 300ml of the milk to a boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool.
Meanwhile place the bread flour, salt, caster sugar, and yeast into a bowl and mix until all ingredients are combined. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk and butter mixture then add the beaten egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. With the dough still in the bowl, tip in the sultanas, mix peel, orange zest, and cinnamon, and knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed. Cover and leave to rise for a further hour or until doubled in size.
Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces and roll each piece into balls on a lightly floured surface. Arrange the balls across two baking trays lined with baking paper, leaving enough space for them to expand. Cover with a clean tea towel to prove for 60 minutes. Heat oven to 220ºC.
Mix 75g of plain flour with 5 tablespoons of water to make the paste for the cross. (Tip: add the water 1 tbsp at a time until you have a thick paste.) Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle and pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses.
Bake for 20 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown. Gently heat 3 tablespoons of smooth apricot jam and while still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.
Asparagus and tomato tartlets
Ingredients
2 rolls of shortcrust pastry
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 4cm lengths
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
4 eggs
120g ricotta cheese
25g parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp rocket, chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly spray 6 x 10cm-diameter fluted tart tins with oil. Cut six circles from the pastry and place the circles in the greased tins. Press to fit and trim off the excess. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Remove from the fridge and place the tins on a large baking tray.
Steam the asparagus for 2-3 minutes until tender, then drain and refresh under cold water (to retain colour). Divide the asparagus between each pastry base and top with tomatoes, cut side up. Whisk the eggs, ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest, and chives in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour over the asparagus and tomato. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is set. Serve with rocket leaves.
Roast leg of lamb
Ingredients
1.8kg trimmed lamb leg, boneless, rolled, and tied
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp olive oil
1½ tsp kosher salt, more or less to taste
Fresh ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Line a roasting pan with aluminium foil and place a rack in the pan.
Combine crushed garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper, mix well and rub the mixture all over the lamb. Roll the lamb, using string to tie it together, and tuck a few sprigs of rosemary under the string. Roast on the rack for 70 minutes until medium-rare (60ºC on a meat thermometer). Adjust timing depending on the size of the roast. Remove, cover in foil and let it rest on a cutting board for 10-15 minutes. Remove string, slice, and serve with Hasselback potatoes and your favourite veggies.
Chocolate babka
Ingredients
For the dough
4½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2¼ tsp instant yeast
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
1½ tsp kosher salt
140g unsalted butter, room temperature
For the filling
113g unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup heavy cream
225g dark chocolate, chopped
¾ cup icing sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
For the syrup
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup water
Method
To make the dough, place the flour, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs, milk, and salt and mix on low speed using the dough hook attachment until combined, and a dough starts to form (about 2 minutes). Add the butter a tablespoon at a time, waiting for it to be incorporated before adding the next spoonful. Once all the butter has been added, continue kneading until a smooth elastic dough forms (about 10 minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. The dough should be sticky and very stretchy. Transfer to a large, oiled bowl then cover and chill overnight.
To make the filling, combine the butter and cream in a small saucepan and heat until the butter is melted, and the mixture is steaming. Add the chocolate and stir until melted, then remove from the heat. Whisk in the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Transfer to a bowl and let cool until thickened to a spreadable consistency (about 60 minutes).
Grease two 20cm x 10cm loaf pans then line them with baking paper. On a lightly floured surface, divide the chilled dough in half. Gently roll each half into 30cm x 40cm rectangles. Spread half of the filling on each rectangle all the way to the edge on three sides, leaving a 2½cm border on one short side. Starting at the short side opposite the border, roll the dough into a tight coil, and pinch the seam to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut each rectangle in half lengthwise. Position each half parallel to each other with the cut sides facing up. Twist the halves together, keeping the cut sides facing up, and tuck the ends under. Gently place in the prepared loaf pans, loosely cover, and let them rise in a warm place for 1½ to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Bake the loaves for 40 minutes until golden brown or a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. While the babkas are baking, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from the heat. Brush the loaves with the syrup as soon as they come out of the oven, then let the babkas cool for 30 minutes in the pans. Serve warm.
Recipes by Capsicum Culinary Studio chefs.