Easter Dinner

I realize Easter was over a week ago - so this post is a little late. But maybe it will help you decide what you'd like to do for your Easter meal! Or maybe it will help remind me about the recipes used, so I can do it again next year. Whatever the reason - I hope it helps your decision making a little easier.


We made a crown roast of Lamb with a mint pesto rub, served with a honey mascarpone sauce, a potato & leek galette, and roasted asparagus. The lamb rack was perfect!! We got lucky and the butcher had a crown rack on display he was ready to sell, so he sold it to us for a deal - plus the rack was already frenched! How lucky is that! The rub was a perfect substitution to the typical mint jelly often served alongside lamb and the honey mascarpone added a nice creamy element to the whole dish that was totally unexpected.







The potato & leek galette I hade made the previous Easter and thought it was a fun side dish that offered great presentation as well as a fun substitude for mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, roasted potatoes, scalloped potatoes, or whatever else you can think of.. Instead you get this pretty little wedge on the side.



So on to the recipes!


Crown Roast of Lamb
serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 racks of lamb, about 1 1/2lbs per rack or 8 ribs per rack, frenched
  
• 1 recipe mint pesto, recipe follows
  
• 1 recipe honey mascarpone, recipe follows
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Season lamb on both sides with salt & pepper. Rub mint pesto over entire lamb racks. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
3. Tie up racks to resemble crown - I'd tell you how to do this, but I didn't do it myself.. so you'll have to just go with it.
   
4. Place on rack set up ontop of a sheet pan/roasting pan. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes (this helps the roast to cook more evenly)
5. Roast lamb until a thermometer reads 130 degrees (for medium rare) - about 20 minutes/lb.
6. Let lamb rest for at least 20 minutes - temperature will continue to rise about 10 more degrees.
   
7. Slice between ribs and set on top of mascarpone sauce on plates.. Or drizzle sauce on top.

Mint Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (firmly packed) fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 clove garlic, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, process mint leaves and walnuts for 30 seconds. Add Parmesan cheese, garlic, pepper, and salt; pulse until mixed. With motor running, slowly add oil through feed tube until pesto mixture is smooth and well combined. You may need more oil, depending on how thin or thick you want the pesto to be.

Honey Mascarpone Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup creme fraiche (or if you can't find this, you can substitute w/sour cream)
  
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the creme fraiche, honey, cumin, and mint. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until just combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.


Potato & Leek Galette
serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 pounds (5 to 6 medium) baking potatoes, peeled
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 leek, white and light-green parts, thinly sliced crosswise, well washed
• 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack set in top third. Line bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Place melted butter in a large bowl. Using a mandoline or cutting by hand, slice the potatoes 1/8 inch thick; add to bowl with butter. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. In prepared pan, arrange some of the potatoes around edge of pan, overlapping the slices.
2. Fill center of pan with more overlapping slices. Sprinkle with half the leek and half the cheese; season with salt and pepper. Repeat with another layer of potatoes and remaining leek and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining potatoes. Using a spatula, press galette down firmly.
3. Bake until potatoes are tender, 70 to 80 minutes, pressing down firmly twice with a spatula during cooking. Run knife around edge of pan. Carefully invert galette onto a plate, remove parchment, and reinvert onto serving plate. Cut into wedges, and serve.

And as for roasted asparagus - well I shouldn't have to tell you how to do that!


The finished product:




Hope you try this recipe sometime - I think it would go over well with beef tenderloin as well.

submitted by Lauren