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Apr 2, 2015 4 min read

Easter is only three short days away.

I say this with both excitement and trepidation as I am always excited to celebrate Easter; however, it kind of sneaks up on you. Every year I make Easter dinner for about 20 people, and to be honest, it just always feels like it’s coming sometime in the future.

Now that I look up and the day is nearly here, I have to create an Easter menu and then execute said menu as I do every year. Easter isn’t really a difficult holiday to create a menu for. It’s one of those holidays, like Thanksgiving, that has somewhat of a set menu theme.

Thanksgiving is turkey, Christmas Eve is seafood, and Easter is…

The traditional star of Easter dinner is lamb. This tradition comes from the Christian faith and the Bible referring to Christ as the Lamb of God. I like to believe that it also comes from the fact that lamb is delicious.

The cut of lamb that I prepare differs from year to year. Sometimes I prepare a leg of lamb, and sometimes I prepare a rack of lamb. How do I choose which one to prepare for the given year?

It’s an extremely complex process (not really). I go to the supermarket or butcher, and I look at the different cuts of lamb and purchase the one that looks the best. You can always ask the butcher which he or she recommends and go with that choice if you are not particularly experienced in selecting a great cut of lamb.

One other point that I feel needs to me mentioned is the doneness to which you should prepare your lamb. It’s really a personal preference, however I believe that lamb is best when cooked medium – of course I’m referencing leg of lamb and rack of lamb with this recommendation.

I always prepare and order my beef medium rare, but I’m more of a medium guy when it comes to lamb. I think that lamb cooked to medium has both a better flavor and texture than if it is cooked to any other temperature.

Now that we’ve talked about the star of the meal, what I really want to share with you in this column is a recipe from way back when. Easter is obviously a time for eggs, hardboiled eggs to be specific.

I’d be surprised if most of you haven’t boiled and dyed Easter eggs by now. The question every year then becomes: what in the world do you do with all of those hard-boiled eggs?

Deviled eggs just so happen to be the perfect hors d’oeuvre for your Easter dinner. Have the kids help peel the eggs and then you can turn them into a delicious treat for the family to enjoy while they wait for you to put the finishing touches on the rest of the meal.

Try my spin on deviled eggs to start your meal this Easter. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of candy on hand to finish it off. Happy Easter!

Mario Porreca of Belle Vernon is an entrepreneur, author, lifestyle solutions expert, and the host of Just Cook It Radio. He can be reached at: www.MarioPorreca.com. Twitter: @MarioPorreca

Smoky deviled eggs

Yield: 5 servings

8 eggs

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher pickle juice

¼ teaspoon Tabasco

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Sea salt to taste

2 gherkin pickles, thinly sliced, to garnish

Procedure:

1. Place the eggs in a pot with enough room-temperature water to completely submerge them (water level should be approximately 2 inches above the eggs).

2. Cook the eggs over medium-high heat, being careful to only bring the water to a simmer. Start timing the eggs when the water comes to a simmer and cook for 13 minutes.

3. After 13 minutes, carefully remove the eggs from the water and place under cold running water just until they are cool enough to handle with your hands.

4. Peel the hardboiled eggs and refrigerate to chill completely.

5. When the eggs are completely chilled, slice them in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Reserve the whites for later use.

6. Press the yolks through a potato ricer into a medium size mixing bowl.

7. Gently fold the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, Tabasco, and smoked paprika into the yolks until thoroughly combined. Season the egg yolks to taste with sea salt and then spoon the yolks into a piping bag with a medium size star tip.

8. Pipe the yolks back into the egg white halves and garnish with a dash of smoked paprika and a thin slice of gherkin pickle just before serving.