Easter Sunday Dinner

In the South where Bernadette grew up, Easter is quite the special holiday for family gatherings and great dishes. This year, however, we are still dealing with limitations on event size. But even if you can't have the whole family over, you can still treat yourself to a fine meal this Sunday.

This year, Bernadette is making a special menu for herself that features a few special items. She's starting with Heavenly Deviled Eggs, then moving on to Kurobuta ham from Snake River Farms served with Great Aunt Libby's Potatoes (see the St. Patrick's Day Menu) and Callaghan's Green Beans (see the St. Patrick's Day Menu). After all, what's Easter without ham, potatoes, and green beans? Bernadette thinks a warm potato dish is a better choice this year since Easter comes too early for a cold potato salad. Finally, she's finishing the meal with an elegant lemon soufflé.

Let's get started! 

1. Heavenly Deviled Eggs

This is not a difficult dish to make. It just takes a little patience to put the filling back into the hard-boiled egg halves. If you have a deviled egg serving plate, now is the time to pull it out, dust it off, and embrace a little flair. If you don't, here is a trick: Slice off a small amount of cooked egg white from the bottom of each half of the hard-boiled egg. This will make a flat surface so the eggs don't slide around on your plate.

What you need for this dish: 

• Six eggs
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish, drained (we recommend Bubbies for its garlicky flavor)
• 2 tablespoons diced capers, drained
• 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Salt to taste
• Paprika to sprinkle on top
• Optional ingredients: horseradish, white pepper, Gagi's S'Umami Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce (see recipe below)

Here is how you make it:

• Boil the six eggs until completely cooked (you might want to use a submersible egg timer), then cool in a bath of cold water until they can be handled safely. Peel the eggs, and slice in half. 
• CAREFULLY remove the yolk of each egg, placing them in a mixing bowl.
• Add the dill pickle relish, diced capers, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise to the egg yolks.

• Mix all the ingredients together and add salt to taste.
• The mix should be a little thick in order to hold its shape.
• Spoon the mixture back into the egg white halves.
• Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
• Sprinkle with paprika and serve!  

2. Gagi's S'Umami Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce

This condiment is a staple in Bernadette's family. In sharing the secret recipe with you, Bernadette welcomes you into her family. This is the sauce that Bernadette adds to stocks, stews, soups, vegetables, or any dish that needs a little bringing together of flavors. Vinegar's acidity will always do that, but this vinegar brings a little Southern umami to the dish. This mix can be made more or less spicy depending on how many peppers you use and how hot a pepper you choose. We suggest washing your peppers thoroughly before using them to make sure no dirt remains. As always, we recommend using nitrile gloves to handle volatile ingredients like hot peppers.

What you need for this dish:  

• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 2 habanero peppers
• 2 serrano peppers
• 4 cherry bomb peppers
• 8 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 375 mL bottle of your choice to fill (Bernadette likes to recycle her Patron tequila bottles for this purpose)
• Rice wine vinegar (at least 1 quart)

Here is how you make it:

• After washing your peppers, dice them into slices small enough to fit into your bottle's opening. Leave the seeds and ribs in place to keep the heat in the peppers!

• Put the sliced peppers into your bottle.
• Then add the peeled garlic to the bottle as well.
• Finally, fill with enough rice wine vinegar to cover the peppers fully.
• Give the mix a good shake to stir the contents.
• This sauce should be refrigerated for at least a week to give full flavor and heat to the mix.
• When pouring, be careful to keep the seeds in the bottle unless you want a surprise kick in your dish!

3. Lemon Soufflé

This is a delicious, elegant, and fairly uncomplicated spring dessert. Bernadette knows that when most people read "soufflé," they are intimidated. Don't be! Bernadette knows best and would never steer you wrong!

What you need for this dish:

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 envelope of gelatin
• 1/4 cup of cold water
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• A pinch of salt
• Candied violets or fresh flowers to decorate

Here is how you make it:

• Prepare a 1 quart soufflé dish by rubbing the inside of the dish with almond oil. Then tie a collar around the top of the dish made with either parchment paper or foil and tied with a string to hold it in place above the top of the dish (see photo below).

• Soften gelatin in the 1/4 cup of cold water until it is spongy.
• Beat egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice until the mixture thickens using an electric beater. Once it has thickened, stir in the grated lemon rind.

• Dissolve gelatin over hot water. Beat into the yolk mixture.
• Place the gelatin-yolk mixture in a cold bain-marie to start the gelatin to set and firm the mixture.

• Now whip heavy cream until stiff.

• In a separate bowl, whip egg whites and a pinch of salt until almost stiff--do NOT over whip.

• When egg yolk mixture has thickened and is syrupy, fold in the whipped cream.
• Finally, fold in the whipped egg whites.

• Pour mixture carefully into the prepared soufflé dish.

• Refrigerate for at least 1.5  hours.
• Before serving, remove the collar and decorate with whipped cream, candied violets, or small fresh flowers.

                            

This menu can always be augmented with the addition of great bread or a salad. Don't forget that the recipes for Great Aunt Libby's Potatoes and Callaghan's Green Beans can be found in the St. Patrick's Day Menu posting. Bernadette and her family wish you and yours a Happy Easter!