With Easter upon us, it’s time to plan a meal. Glazed ham or roast lamb may be quintessential part of the traditional Easter dinner for some, but this year, we suggest a fresh, seasonal menu that leans French. Try the entire Easter dinner menu below, or pick and choose as you like. Either way, you’ll find approachable, flavorful recipes that you’ll want to make again.
And for more ideas, check out these 12 ideas for Easter brunch and these springtime recipes that highlight the best produce of the season.
Chicken en Cocotte
France’s one-pot solution for roast chicken is a terrific dish for entertaining because it requires very little prep or hands-on cooking and feeds a crowd. Cooking the chicken breast side down ensures an evenly cooked bird, with the delicate white meat gently poaching in wine while the legs bake up above.
Lemon and Herb Pilaf with Hazelnuts
This simple pilaf gets bright flavor from heaps of fresh parsley and tarragon, along with a good measure of lemon juice and zest. Basmati rice works best because the grains retain their shape well, but jasmine rice works as well. Depending on how many people you’re serving, you can easily double the recipe in a Dutch oven.
French Carrot Salad
This iconic French side dish, salade de carottes râpées, transforms that familiar root vegetable you may have tired of by now into a sweet, colorful and flavorful salad fit for an Easter meal.
Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Spiced Oil and Chives
Here, an initial blast over high heat gives asparagus spears a light char to develop sweet, nutty flavor, before covered cooking with a little water renders them perfectly crisp-tender. Serving the spears straight for the pan makes for one less dish to clean at the end of the party.
Pistachio-Cardamom Loaf Cake
Make things easy on yourself with a loaf cake that’s as simple as it is impressive, as in this nutty, aromatic quick bread-style cake from Rose’s Bakery in Paris. Toasted ground pistachios, flour and olive oil make an elegant dessert, while cardamom and grated orange zest add a Middle Eastern flair.
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