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Easter Feast: 5 Festive Recipes

Easter is a time for celebration and good food! We’ve asked five local chefs to share their favorite Easter recipes that you can re-create from the comfort of your own home. Happy cooking and happy Easter!

Eggs Benedict with Ham


Submitted by Brian Bennett, Bennett’s Kitchen Bar Market, 1595 Eureka Road, Roseville, 916-750-5150, bennettskitchen.com
  •  8 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
  •  ½ lb. ham, finely sliced
  • 4 English muffins
  • ¼ lb. butter (1 stick) plus 10 tbsp. salted butter
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Fresh chives, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar
  • Cayenne pepper to taste

Eggs Benedict with Ham

 

To make the hollandaise sauce:
Melt 10 tbsp. butter over low heat; transfer to measuring cup. Add egg yolks and lemon juice into a blender. Blend 30 seconds on medium-high until it lightens in color. Remove top plug from blender lid and run blender on low speed. Slowly drizzle in melted butter. Continue blending for another couple seconds after butter is incorporated. Turn off blender and taste. Should be buttery, lemony, and lightly salty. Add pinch of cayenne if desired. Remove from blender and store in warmed measuring cup (with spout) in a warm place. Use within 45 minutes.

To make ham and eggs:
In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 lb. butter. Add sliced ham and slowly poach until warm.
Hand split muffins and lightly brush with melted butter from ham. Place on baking sheet under a broiler to toast; watch closely to avoid burning.

Crack each egg into separate glass ramekins. Place large pot on stove, fill to ½ inch from the top with water. Add pinch of salt and white vinegar. Bring to slow rolling boil then turn down by half so water is still simmering. Gently roll eggs into water. Set a timer (3 minutes for soft yolks, 4 minutes for medium yolks, 5 minutes for hard yolks). Use slotted spoon to remove eggs.

Place both halves of toasted English muffin on a plate. Place little ham on top (make a sort of nest). Place poached egg on top. Cover with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle chives and pinch of cayenne on top.
(Serves 4)

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Submitted by Marc Riedel, Wise Villa Winery, 4200 Wise Road Lincoln, 916-581-6959, wisevillawinery.com

  • 2 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ cup butter
  • 8 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Tabasco sauce
  • 4 English muffins
  • 8 oz. smoked salmon
  • 2 tbsp. red onion, minced/sliced
  • 2 tbsp. capers

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

 

Ready two sauce pots with water: one half full for poaching eggs and the second with an inch of water for the sauce. Add vinegar to the first pot and 1 teaspoon kosher salt; bring to boil then lower to medium low.

To make the hollandaise sauce:
Melt butter completely in microwave. Bring the second pot (with an inch of water) to boil then lower to medium. Use any metal bowl to cover the top of the pot (use a bowl little larger than the pot so you can hold the bowl). Add egg yolks and lemon to the bowl; using a towel to hold the metal bowl, vigorously whisk yolks until thick (tip: remove bowl from time to time from the pot so not to scramble the yolks.) Once yolk mixture is thickened, slowly add melted butter (keep removing from heat every minute or so to avoid scrambling yolks or breaking the sauce). Once all the butter is incorporated, remove from heat and add tabasco and 1/8 teaspoon salt (adjust accordingly).

Using the first pot of water, crack eggs into small bowls and gently place in simmering water for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, toast English muffins. Once toasted, add 1 oz. of smoked salmon to each muffin. Remove poached eggs with slotted spoon and place atop smoked salmon. Add hollandaise sauce and sprinkle red onion and capers if desired.
(Serves 4)


Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

(inspired by The Cheeseboard: Collective Works)
Submitted by Jennifer Marinez, Karen’s Bakery Café, 705 Gold Lake Drive, Folsom, 916-985-2665, karensbakery.com
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¾ cup plus ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 heaping tbsp. orange zest
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into one-inch cubes
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup heavy cream plus ½ cup for topping
  • ¾ cup buttermilk

Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into stand mixer or large bowl. Add orange zest.

If using a stand mixer, add salt and 3/4 cup sugar, mix with paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add butter on low speed for 4 minutes or until the size of peas. Mix in chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and add 3/4 cups heavy cream and buttermilk. Mix until ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at bottom of the bowl.

If making by hand, add salt and 3/4 cups sugar to a bowl and stir with wooden spoon until combined. Add butter (cut to size of small peas). Mix in mini chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and add 3/4 cups of heavy cream and buttermilk. Mix until ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at bottom of the bowl.

Shape dough into 10-inch circle. Pat down to 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on prepared pan, 2 inches apart.

Brush scones with softly whipped cream (from ½ cup cream), sprinkle with remaining sugar and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
(Makes 8-10 scones)


Roast Berkshire Pork Rib Rack

Submitted by Q Bennett, Q1227 Restaurant, 1465 Eureka Road, Suite 100, Roseville,
916-899-5146, q1227restaurant.com

  • 1 Berkshire Pork 10-rib rack, about 7.5 lbs.
  • 4 tbsp. Chef Q’s All-Purpose Season-All (available at q1227restaurant.com) or your favorite all-purpose seasoning 
  • 2 tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. raw or light brown sugar

Roast Berkshire Pork Rib Rack

 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Look on both ends of the rack for the small eye that sits above the main eye. With rack laying fat side up, make horizontal cut through the meat, across bones, above small eye. If desired, using a sharp knife, remove all meat above this cut, from all sides of bones. Scrape bones clean (Frenching).

Lay the rack fat side down on a cutting board and using your finger, feel about 1 inch below the bottom of the ribs for remnants of the chine bone. If any small, thin bone fragments remain, trim away with sharp knife. Flip rack over and score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern using shallow cuts, being careful not to cut into the meat.

In a small bowl, stir seasoning and sugar. Season roast liberally with salt and black pepper on both sides. Rub in spice mixture, massaging into the fat, coating all surfaces evenly.

Using butcher’s string, tie rack in between each rib to make compact and allow for even cooking. If bones are Frenched, cover with small squares of aluminum foil. Lay roast ribs-facing-up on rack over a roasting pan. Roast until the thickest part of meat registers 140 degrees on a thermometer, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to rest, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Remove foil from bones (if used). Place roast back in the oven until fat is nicely browned and crispy, about 5-10 minutes. (Watch carefully to avoid burning.)

Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before removing string and carving into individual chops.
(Serves 6-8)


Marmalade-Glazed Ham

with Sweet Orange Tea Sauce (adapted from Epicurious)
Submitted by Glory Thomsen, The Farm Table, 311 Main Street, Placerville, 530-295-8140, ourfarmtable.com

Ham:
  • 1 16-19 lb. smoked fully cooked bone-in ham
  • 36 whole cloves
  • 1 cup orange marmalade
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp. plus 1 ½ cups water

Sauce:
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 orange-spice or black tea bags
  • 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 3 tbsp. orange marmalade
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp. water

Pineapple-Mint Relish:
  • 3 cups pineapple, chopped
  • ½ cup bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ cup red onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 tsp. lemon peel, grated

Marmalade-Glazed Ham with Sweet Orange Tea Sauce

 

To make the ham:
Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Trim rind and excess fat from upper side of ham, leaving 1/4-inch-thick layer of fat. Using long sharp knife, score fat in one-inch-wide diamond pattern. Insert one clove into center of each scored diamond. Place ham in a heavy large roasting pan. Bake until thermometer inserted into center of ham registers 120 degrees, about 3 hours 45 minutes.

Melt marmalade in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in mustard and 2 tablespoons water. Boil until mixture thickens enough to coat spoon without dripping, about six minutes. Set aside.
Transfer ham to a cutting board. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Place same roasting pan atop burner on medium heat. Whisk remaining water into pan, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Transfer pan juices to four-cup glass measuring cup and freeze for 15 minutes. Spoon fat off top of pan juices; reserve juices.

Line same pan with foil and return ham. Generously spoon marmalade mixture over ham. Bake until glaze is set and begins to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Let stand 30 minutes.

To make the sauce:
Bring water to boil in a heavy saucepan. Add tea bags. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add chicken broth, orange juice, and orange marmalade. Boil until reduced to three cups, about 12 minutes. Whisk in Dijon mustard and reserved pan juices. Return to boil. Whisk in cornstarch mixture. Boil until slightly thick, about 4 minutes. Season with pepper.
 
To make the relish:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Carve ham and serve with sauce and relish.
(Serves 12)



by Caitlin McCulloch