Amanda Hesser's Easter Menu
The Food52 founder shares her all-star line-up (plus shopping list & game plan)
Greetings eaters and readers! I’m thrilled to present Amanda Hesser’s Easter Menu as the next chapter in my Dinner Party Game Plan series. Here, Amanda, co-founder of Food52 and one of my personal food writing heroes, offers two options, both of which won me over for their ease and elegance. I am so thrilled about her star turn here, in fact, that I’m offering her menu to all DALS readers, not just subscribers as usual. Happy Easter everyone, and thank you, Amanda!
Amanda Hesser’s Easter Menu
From Amanda: I grew up eating baked ham on Easter, but nowadays would be more likely to cook lamb, so I've included both. The ham has a classic glaze -- pared down to the essentials: mustard, honey, spices, and bourbon. Why fuss with something that doesn't need it? The lamb is also uncomplicated but focuses on the brightness of lemon and peppery, floral oregano. Once you flip a coin and decide between the ham and the lamb, you can pair either with asparagus, this one a garlicky number. Roasted potatoes seemed like a must. And I like to punctuate a spring meal with lemon -- the Meyer lemon cheesecake with Biscoff crust has been a hit on Food52, so I thought I'd spread the love here!
Super Simple Glazed Ham OR Lemon-Oregano Leg of Lamb
Asparagus with Spring Garlic Pesto
Important: The potato and asparagus dishes as written on Food52, serve 4, so I doubled their ingredients on this shopping list in order to create a menu to serve 8 (or 6 with leftovers). So please remember to double the amounts when you prepare those two dishes. But! Please note that I did not double the sauce ingredients for the potatoes because the recipe as written already makes twice as much as you need for four (and encourages you to use the remainder for leftovers).
Option 1: Lamb
Option 2: Ham
Extra Credit from Amanda: Casatiello Napoletano Stuffed Easter Bread (not reflected in shopping list)
Photo credit: James Ransom
Wonderful new ideas for Easter 🐣. Thank you 😊