Fit for a feast!

With food being an integral part of Easter celebrations, relish and enjoy these amazing recipes that are just perfect to pep up your spirits!

Royal Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

• 125 gm eggs
• 30 gm water
• 100 gm caster sugar
• 250 gm dark chocolate couverture
• 500 gm whipped cream

Royal Chocolate Mousse

Method:

• Whip the eggs in a table top Kitchen Aid, at the same time bring the sugar and water to 1180C and pour in the eggs slowly. Continue whisking till the temperature comes down to 500 C. Mix the cooked egg mixture with the melted chocolate.
• Fold the semi whipped cream to the above mixture. Pour in the desired moulds to set.

Joconde

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs almond powder
• 1 tbs icing sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 50 gm castor sugar
• 1 tbs flour
• 200 gm butter

Method:

• Whisk together almond powder, icing sugar and whole eggs till light and fluffy.
• Make French meringue with egg whites and castor sugar, by whipping the egg whites and adding the castor sugar in three stages. Whisk until stiff peaks are formed.
• Fold the meringue with the almond, sugar and egg mix followed by the flour and lastly the melted butter.
• On a baking tray with a silicon mat, spread the batter about 5 mm and bake at 1800C for nine minutes.

Banana Milk Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients:

• 240 gm couverture chocolate milk
• 300 gm unsalted butter
• 160 gm castor sugar
• 180 gm brown sugar
• 140 gm plain flour
• 20 gm nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas

Banana Milk Chocolate Brownie

Method:

• Place butter, castor sugar and brown sugar together in the bowl. Blend the mixture until pale and creamy. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
• Mix eggs, one at a time, until combined.
• Add melted chocolate into the mixture, add ripe banana pieces and mix properly.
• Spread brownie mixture onto pre-lined tray and spread to 1 cm thick, using a spatula to smooth the surface.
• Place into the oven until skewer comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes at 1550

Assembly: Spread layers over one another to relish the cake.

Passion Fruit Curd

Ingredients:

• 200 gm whole egg
• 180 gm caster sugar
• 180 gm passion fruit puree
• 40 gm lime puree
• 4gm gelatin
• 200ml water
• 200 gm unsalted butter

Passion Fruit Curd

Method:

• Place all ingredients except for the butter into the Thermomix and set on speed 3.5 at 850C and blend for four minutes.
• Once at the desired temperature, add in cold butter and blend until completely cold. Transfer curd into the desired mould.

Milk Chocolate Fruit And Nut Bar

Ingredients

• 10 gms milk chocolate couverture 40gms candied orange slice
• 40 gm dried apricot
• 20 gm roasted almonds
• 30 gm dried cranberries
• 40 gm roasted cashewnuts

Milk Chocolate Fruit And Nut Bar

Method

• Melt the chocolate in a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. While the chocolate is melting, gather and prepare other ingredients for the bar.
• Once the chocolate starts melting, remove the bowl from the pan and wipe the moisture off the bottom of the bowl. Temper the chocolate.
• Pour a layer of chocolate into the chocolate bar moulds. Tap them on the counter a few times to distribute the chocolate evenly and release any air bubbles, then working quickly, top with fruits and nuts, dried fruits and press them in slightly.
• Put the bars in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. Once set, de-mould the chocolate bars from the moulds by tapping slightly on the working table.
• Store in a cool dry place.

– Chef Amit Sinha

Roast Lamb

Ingredients:

• 2 kg lamb
• 1 bulb garlic
• ½ bunch rosemary
• 1.5 kg potatoes
• 1 lemon
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 glass red wine  (150ml)
• 1.2 ltrs lamb stock

Roast Lamb

Method:

• Stuff the lamb with garlic and rosemary. Use a sharp pointed knife, make at least 30 small incisions all over the meat. Peel four garlic cloves, thinly slice them and prod a slice into each incision. Next, pull off small sprigs of rosemary and push into the incisions.  Remove from the fridge one hour before roasting.
• Heat oven to 1900C. Heat a large frying pan, add a little oil and brown the lamb all over. Scatter the carrot, onion, remaining garlic and rosemary in a large roasting tin, pour in the wine and stock, then place the browned lamb in the tin.
•  Roast for about one hour 45 minutes. When cooked, remove the lamb and rest in a warm place covered in foil for about 30 minutes.
• Make the gravy. Pour all the stock from the tin through a sieve into a saucepan to remove all the vegetables and herbs. Serve with the gravy, potatoes, leeks and butternut squash.

– Chef Ivan Chieragatti, Executive Chef, Hyatt, Regency Delhi

The writer is a food author