Here are our favorite things to eat with baked ham, including a sweet and fresh shredded carrot salad, milk-simmered mashed potatoes, multiple asparagus dishes, and a more refined, French take on the deviled egg.
Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche and Fried Capers
A heap of tender-crisp spring asparagus gets big, bold, bistro flavor with sauce gribiche: France's pungent topping of briny capers, egg yolks, Dijon and horseradish. For this dish, we used white balsamic vinegar instead of conventional wine vinegar because we preferred balsamic’s mild sweetness. And instead of adding capers to the sauce, we used caper brine; the capers themselves we fried to create a crisp garnish for the sauced asparagus.
Milk-Simmered Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes are like pasta; they create starchy cooking liquid that’s called “liquid gold” for a reason. By cooking the spuds in a little milk, which doubles as your mashing liquid, you get natural, creamy lusciousness. No need to weigh them down with heavy cream.
Popovers
Whenever our kitchen bakes up these popovers, they're devoured ferociously. These “perfectly popped popovers” (Chris Kimball’s term) are light and airy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and rich with eggy flavor. They’re about as easy to whip up as pancakes, but make sure you follow two rules of thumb: Let the batter sit, and poke holes in them at the end of baking.
Minty Radishes and Snap Peas
Ditch lettuce for a crisper, more colorful salad. Bright green snap peas and pretty pink radishes make the most refreshing combination, even more so with a minty lift. Optional blue cheese brings a pleasant, savory funkiness to the party.
Butter-Roasted Carrots with Za’atar and Pomegranate Molasses
Easter calls for carrots. We call these “magic” carrots because they’re so much better than the simple olive oil-roasted variety. We get super-sweetness and meltingly tender texture by slow-roasting the carrots, and a drizzle of butter browns in the pan, adding fragrant nuttiness. Orange zest and juice wake up the flavors, balanced with earthy za’atar and tangy pomegranate molasses. Crunchy pistachios add a finishing touch to create a side we are proud to present.
Oeufs Mayonnaise
Think of oeufs mayonnaise as a more refined, French deviled egg—a bistro classic of perfectly cooked, jammy-centered eggs with a dollop of homemade mayonnaise. At Le Saint Sebastien in Paris’ 11th arrondissement, we had a lesson in how to prepare the hors d’oeuvre from chef Chris Edwards, vice-champion of the 2021 Oeuf Mayo World Championship. We followed Edwards’ lead when making our mayo, using Dijon mustard for piquancy as well as to aid with emulsification, plus lemon juice for bright flavor.
Venetian Rice and Peas
In the countryside outside of Venice, spring is ushered in by risi e bisi, or “rice and peas”: pea-studded rice, bathed in pale green broth, enjoyed as a holiday tradition for St. Mark’s Day (April 25), but there’s no rule against enjoying it before then. It balances rich, risotto-like creaminess with broth-y soupiness, and savory pancetta against fresh, grassy pea flavor.
Pasta with Creamy Cauliflower and Cheese Sauce
In this one-pot-plus-blender recipe, we use mild cauliflower two ways for a velvety, cheesy pasta sauce. We simmer florets in water which is later used to cook the pasta. We then toss some of those florets with the noodles for textural contrast, and we blend the rest in its cooking water and oil, creating a creamy, cream-free sauce base. A heap of rich Italian cheese brings the requisite oomf, creating a delicious, easy—and light—take on macaroni and cheese.
French Carrot Salad
Little-known fact: Shredding carrots makes them sweeter! This classic French bistro side dish takes full advantage of this phenomenon. A touch of mellow vinegar and tarragon makes for the perfect accompaniment to your spiral ham. We kept this salad simple, but versions with toasted nuts or chopped dried fruit also were delicious, so feel free to play around and make it your own.
Roasted Potatoes with Gouda and Thyme
Cheese baked until crisp enhances a simple roast of potatoes and shallots, adding texture and savory richness. Aged Gouda has nutty, butterscotch-y notes; manchego is similarly nutty but with some tanginess and subtle sharpness. Both are delicious here, so use whichever you favor.
Braised Leeks with Balsamic Glaze
At Valencia’s Casa Montaña, we experienced leeks as never before: poached in olive oil until meltingly soft and finished with a sweet-tart balsamic glaze. This is our six-ingredient re-creation of that delicious side, with browned almonds for a toasty, crunchy contrast.
Broiled Asparagus with Cardamom and Orange
Cardamom and orange bring floral and citrus notes to grassy asparagus, while butter lends richness and makes the flavors linger on the palate. We double up the orange in this dish—marmalade sweetens as it adds a touch of bitterness, and the zest and juice of a fresh orange lightens and brightens. Flaky finishing salt provides spikes of salinity and a nice crunch.
Lemon and Green Pea Risotto
This green pea risotto is another perfect example of lemon’s power to wake up flavors and turn a simple, good dish into a great one. A bracing cut of lemon juice and zest give life to a simple combination of butter and Parm, with peas for pops of sweetness and mint for an extra-fresh lift.
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