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Menu Ideas For Your Family's Easter Dinner

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Easter Sunday is just a week away.

Are you still looking for ideas for your family dinner?

Chef Brandon Fay, Managing Director of Trattoria Dell'Arte, stopped by with a few recipes that are sure to wow your guests.

Braised Lamb & Caramelized Onions Cavatelli

If you're thinking of buying a lamb shank for Easter Sunday dinner, consider making this creamy pasta dish that I adapted from one of my favorite meals in Italy. The caramelized onions give the pasta a sweetness that is balanced by the fatty, richness of the lamb.

Serves 4

What you'll need:

2 tbsp. EVOO

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 lb. lamb shank, bone out & tied (about 2-3 shanks)

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed

2 large onions, medium sliced

1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp. flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 qt. chicken stock

2 lbs. fresh Cavatelli

Grated parmesan, for serving

How to make it:

  1. In a large dutch oven, heat oil over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Generously season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Sear shanks in oil—being careful not to overcrowd the pan—until all sides are caramelized, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
  2. In the same pan, add the butter, onions, thyme and bay leaf; season to taste. Saute onions over low heat until deeply caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. When the onions are caramelized, add the flour and mix until flour has dissolved.
  3. Add white wine; bring to a boil and cook until wine has evaporated.
  4. Return the lamb to the pot and add the stock, making sure the lamb is only half submerged (don't add all the liquid if the lamb will be completely submerged); bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover pot, and let simmer until meat is tender and can be easily pulled apart, about 2 hours. Note: Halfway through cooking, rotate meat so the exposed side is submerged in the chicken stock.
  5. When tender, pull lamb shank into bite-size shreds and return to sauce. If sauce is too loose, bring to a simmer, remove lid, and let reduce for 30 minutes. Check seasoning; adjust if necessary.
  6. When ready to serve, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add Cavatelli and boil until al dente, about 1-3 minutes. Remove and toss with sauce. Serve with grated parmesan. To finish, drizzle with EVOO.

Tip:  To give this dish that extra creaminess and richness toss pasta with sauce and lots of fresh grated parmesan cheese before serving.

 

Easter Deviled Egg Chicks

Who Likes Deviled Eggs?!  Who likes little chicks?!  These are a fun twist on a delicious classic Easter tradition.

Makes 6 deviled eggs 

What You'll Need:

Dozen eggs

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. small diced pickles

1 tsp. pickle juice

Freshly Ground Black Pepper and Kosher Salt, season to taste

1 dash Tabasco Sauce

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

12 capers

1 small carrot, peeled and sliced into rings

How to Make It:

  1. Place a large saucepan of water over a high heat and bring water to a rolling boil. Add salt and white wine vinegar to the boiling water.
  2. Carefully lower eggs into boiling water using a slotted spoon. Be careful not to let eggs drop to bottom of pan, they may crack.
  3. Maintaining a gentle boil let eggs stand for 10 minutes.
  4. Filling a large bowl with water and ice to create an ice bath. Transfer boiled eggs to ice cold water.  This stop the cooking process.  Let eggs cool down.  Peal eggs under cool running water.
  5. Slice ¼ of the top of the egg off, and set the egg white tops aside. Using a melon baller or a spoon remove yolk from egg.
  6. Place all yolks in the bowl of a food processor. Add mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, a dash of Tabasco sauce, freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt; season to taste and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
  7. Then fold in small diced pickles.
  8. Spoon yolk mixtures into a disposable plastic piping bag. Cut corners of bag, pipe filling mixture into 6 hallowed hardboiled egg whites.­
  9. Gently press the capers into the fillings for eyes, then for beaks, thinly slice a few rings of carrots, and cut into sixths. Gently insert two pieces of carrots to shape a mouth. Top with egg white tops.
  10. To serve, line a platter with fresh parsley or dill, carefully arrange Deviled Eggs on top to give it that "farm to table" feel and to prevent from rolling.

Tips:

  • Not everyone has a disposable piping bags, a zip lock bag will do the trick.
  • Adding the white wine vinegar to the water before boiling eggs will prevent cracking and the shells will peel off much easier when they're done.
  • You need double the quantity of eggs to make enough filling for desired amount of deviled eggs.
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