Easter is a Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is one of the most significant holidays in the Christian calendar and is observed by Christians all over the world. It is a time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for humanity and to rejoice in the victory of life over death.
The Easter season begins with Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and reflection. The Holy Week, which starts on Palm Sunday, commemorates the final week of Jesus’ life, culminating in his crucifixion on Good Friday. And this year, it falls on April 9. Easter Sunday is celebrated with church services, music, and the gifting of Easter eggs that symbolise a new life.
Easter Sunday is the highlight of the Easter season. Churches all over the world hold special services to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is also a time for families to come together and share in the festivities. Many people decorate their homes with Easter eggs, flowers, and other symbols of new life and rebirth.
People also enjoy a lavish dinner packed with delectable dishes and drinks with their loved ones. The menu of the feast includes seafood, roasted meat, desserts, and wine. Some traditional dishes that are relished on Easter include hot cross buns, deviled eggs, roasted lamb, carrots, cakes, cooked ham, and breads. The menu also includes some boozy cocktails that amp up the festive mood.
If you are also planning to host a dinner on Easter Sunday, here are two delicious recipes shared by chefs from Conrad, Bengaluru:
Tenderloin Wellington
By Chef Abhishek Kumar, Chef De Cuisine, Conrad Bengaluru
Ingredients:
- 1 kg centre fillet of buff tenderloin, trimmed
- Olive oil
- 2 knobs of unsalted butter
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 600 g mixed mushrooms
- 100 g of chicken livers
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon truffle oil
- 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 500 sheets of puff pastry
- 1 egg
For gravy
- 2 onions
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 100 ml Madeira wine
- 1 heaping teaspoon of English mustard
- 2 heaping teaspoons of plain flour
- 600 ml organic buff stock
Method
- Preheat a large frying pan on high heat. Rub the beef all over with sea salt and black pepper. Pour the oil into the pan, then add the tenderloin, 1 cube of butter, and 1 sprig of rosemary.
- Sear the tenderloin for 4 minutes total, then remove it to a plate.
- Wipe out the pan and return it to medium heat. Peel the onion and garlic, then very finely chop them with the mushrooms and put them in the pan with the remaining knob of butter.
- Strip in the rest of the rosemary leaves and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft and starting to caramelise.
- Toss the livers and Worcestershire sauce into the pan and cook for another few minutes.
- Finely chop it by hand with a big knife to a rustic, spreadable consistency. Taste and season to perfection.
- Preheat the oven to 210°C.
- On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the pastry; spread the mushroom pâté over the pastry, leaving a 5cm gap at either end and at the edge furthest away from you; egg-wash these edges.
- Set the tenderloin on the paté, then wrap the pastry around the tenderloin, pinching the ends to seal. Transfer the Wellington to a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, seal at the base, and brush all over with egg wash.
- When you’re ready to cook, heat the tray on the hob for a couple of minutes to start crisping up the base, then transfer it to the oven and cook for 40 minutes.
- For the gravy, peel and roughly chop the onions and put them into a large pan on medium heat with a lug of oil and thyme leaves. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in the jam and simmer until shiny and quite dark.
- Add the Madeira, flame with a match, and cook away, then stir in the mustard and flour, gradually followed by the stock. Simmer to the consistency you like, then blend with a stick blender and pass through a sieve, or leave chunky.
- Once cooked, rest the Wellington for 5 minutes, then serve it in 2 cm-thick slices with the gravy and steamed greens.
Pecan Nut Pie
By Chef Manoj Rawat, Sous Chef, Conrad Bengaluru
Ingredients
For short-crust pastry
- 250 g plain flour
- 125 g butter, diced, and kept cool in the fridge
- 1-3 tablespoons milk or water
- A pinch of salt
For pecan nut filling
- 1 ¾ cups white sugar
- ¼ cup dark corn syrup
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans
Method
For short-crust pastry
- Sieve the plain flour into a large bowl or the largest bowl of a food processor. Add the diced butter and either rub it in with your fingertips or, if using a food processor, pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the salt and mix again.
- Gradually add the liquid by starting with 1 tablespoon of milk or water, then adding a little more until the mixture comes together to form a dough.
- Tap the mixture onto a surface and gently bring it together with your hands, then shape it into a disc.
- Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 20 minutes before using the sheet to make the tart shell.
For pecan nut filling
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, water, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a full boil and remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in the cooked syrup mixture. Stir in salt, vanilla, and pecans.
- Pour the pecan mixture into the pie shell.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set, 45 to 50 minutes. Enjoy.