Clodagh McKenna's perfect Easter lunch

Get ready to cook up a feast on Sunday with this three-course meal plan
Clodagh McKenna
Clodagh McKenna29 March 2018

Easter is the perfect excuse to gather loved ones and celebrate over a big lunch whether you're entertaining or just feeding the family but it can be hard to decide what exactly to make.

Luckily, our weekly recipe columnist, chef Clodagh McKenna, has designed the perfect meal plan to mark the occasion.

The menu features asparagus with hollandaise sauce on sourdough toast, a classic rack of lamb with mint and pine nut crust and salsa verde and finishes with light and fragrant rosewater jellies...

Asparagus with hollandaise sauce on sourdough toast

Clodagh McKenna

Ingredients (serves 2)

8 asparagus spears

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 egg yolks

200g butter

juice of half a lemon

4 slices of good quality bread

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Toss the asparagus in one tablespoon of olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a griddle pan over a high heat, and then arrange the asparagus on the pan and leave to cook for 2 minutes on each side. You can also roast the asparagus in a hot oven for 5-7 minutes.

2. Make your hollandaise sauce by first melting the butter. While the butter is melting pour the egg yolks into a food processor, followed by the juice of 1 lemon. Turn the food processor on to medium speed and slowly pour in the melted butter through the nozzle until all the butter is whizzed with the egg yolks and the sauce is a thick consistency. It's the best way I have ever come across to make hollandaise.

3. Toast 4 slices of bread, assemble on 2 plates, place 2 asparagus spears on each slice of toast and smoother with the hollandaise sauce.

Rack of Lamb with Mint and Pine Nut Crust

Clodagh McKenna

The mint and pine nut crust adds such delicious flavour and texture to the lamb. You could use a combination of thyme and finely chopped hazelnuts for this recipe too.

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 racks of lamb, approx 6 cutlets on each rack

salt and pepper

For the crust:

100g breadcrumbs

1 clove of garlic, crushed

150g pine nuts, chopped roughly

50g fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped finely

100g parmesan cheese, coarsely grated

50g butter, melted

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C.

2. In a bowl make the crust by mixing together the breadcrumbs, crushed garlic, pine nuts, fresh mint, parmesan and melted butter.

3. Place the racks of lamb on a roasting tray and season with salt and pepper

4. Press the crust mixture on the the layer of fat on the lamb rack, which should be facing upwards.

5. Roasted in the pre-heated oven at 190C for 30 minutes.

Salsa Verde

Ingredients

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 sprigs fresh basil

2 sprigs of flat leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 anchovy fillets, chopped

2 tablespoons capers

200ml extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend for one minute.

Rosewater Jellies

Clodagh McKenna

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the crystallised rose petals

1 egg white

2 teaspoons of water

12 rose petals (3 for each serving)

50g caster sugar

For the jellies

250g caster sugar

300ml water

200ml Dingle gin, or any of your favourite gin

25g gelatin leaves

50ml rosewater

Method

1. To make the crystallised rose petals, mix the egg white and water together in a small bowl. Grip the petals with a pair of tweezers and carefully dip into the egg mixture, lightly coating both sides.

2. Dip the rose petals very lightly in the caster sugar and transfer to a wire rack. Leave the rose petals to dry overnight or for about 6 hours.

3. To make the jelly, place the caster sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium/high heat, stir and bring to the boil. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat.

4. Pop the gelatin leaves into a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes or until soft, drain and stir into the syrup until dissolved.

5. Stir in the rosewater and gin. Pour the cooled jelly syrup into 4 individual glasses and pop into a fridge to set (this takes about one hour).

6. Arrange 3 crystallised rose petals on each glass of set jelly, and serve.

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