Easter Lunch

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

We spent it at Laurent’s parents, which means that I didn’t have to cook – just help with the plating and layout. Stress-free holidays are the best!

Easter is always a little atypical here, because Laurent’s father generally dislikes red or fatty meat, except when its ground or baked as a meatloaf. Which means, no lamb, and no Easter ham. The only lambs present were the ones decorating the table.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with the appetizers.

I really wish I could tell you what’s in these. But even Laurent’s dad could barely remember the ingredients. He has a knack for taking whatever leftovers there are in his fridge, and turning them into something that is both delicious and literally unique – as in, there is no way he, or anyone else, could ever make it again. I can tell you this particular spread contains puréed tomato, parsley, mayonnaise, olive tapenade, Tabasco, breadcrumbs, and possibly some roasted red peppers… but I can’t be sure, and I’m probably forgetting half the ingredients. But whatever was in it, it was good, on crackers and as a filling for devilled eggs.


There was an elaborate caprese salad, which I completely forgot to photograph. It was served with fine prosciutto and grissini. For some reason, I did remember to photograph the grissini.

The main course, as I said, was atypical: salmon. It was simply poached, and served cold with three different kinds of homemade mayonnaise: garlic and parsley, tarragon, and tomato. Simple flavours, but everything was prepared with care, and it was an ideal lunch for a lovely warm day.

Dessert was also not exactly traditional: no chocolate, but a thin, crisp pear tart, with caramelized sugar. It was light, not too sweet, and just plain delicious. (OK, we did have some chocolate after – it was Easter, after all.)

One of the guests had brought her dog, a cross between a Husky and a Retriever. As you can see, he had the most amazing eyes (and no, the different colours are not a trick of the light):

The dog received his share of treats, as well. So we all left with a full stomach and a skip in our step.

How was your Easter?