Whether you’re a traditionalist who is planning on presenting a full spread on Easter Sunday, or someone that prefers to rely entirely on the sugar high that comes from raiding your Easter egg stash, here are a few dish ideas – complete with great wine pairing ideas – that’ll having you hopping all the way to the kitchen.
To start
Bacon-wrapped dates: Everyone would agree that bacon makes most things better and paired with a dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc, you’re in for a treat. This is an easy appetizer that is bound to impress your guests.
Fish cakes: Fish isn’t just for Good Friday and deliciously crumbed fish cakes are a light and fresh starter to get the meal on its way. Luckily, the wine selection to accompany is broad too, depending on the fish you choose. If it’s tuna, then it’s a red wine you’d need to balance the flavour. Salmon fishcakes – or any other fish with an oily texture, required something like the delicate, full-bodied FAT bastard rosé to bring the meal together.
The main event
Lamb: Is it even Easter without a leg of lamb? Slow roasted in the oven with a spread of veg to accompany – there’s nothing better. Pair your lamb with a pinot noir, which has a lighter appeal or choose a more serious wine like The Golden Reserve from FAT bastard – a cabernet sauvignon merlot blend, with a deeper body and a worthy match for a more complex dish like lamb shank.
Chicken Pie: It’s creamy, it’s warm, it’s delicious and it hits all the right notes on soul comfort, making a chicken pie a perfect homemade addition to your Easter spread. Pair your pie with a chardonnay with classic ripe, rich butter notes. These characteristics are the perfect pairing for Chicken Pot Pie with its toasty pastry and chicken with creamy buttery sauce.
Sides
Truffle Macaroni and Cheese: Truffle oil takes a simple pasta and cheese meal to the next level, making this Truffle Macaroni and Cheese by FAT bastard rich and delectable. An added bonus of this dish is that it may be prepared in advance with little effort.
Roasted autumn vegetables: To complement an oaked chenin blanc, try serving a salad of roasted vegetables with caramelised nuts and seeds. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, baby carrots, and nutty seeds all go wonderfully with the fruity, spicy notes of chenin blanc.
Curtain call dessert
Dark chocolate truffle tart: Generally speaking, if you want to pair wine with chocolate, the rule of thumb is that the bolder the wine, the more intense the chocolate should be. To really appreciate both flavours, you wouldn’t want either to take control. That is why a red wine with a strong fruit flavour and character like the FAT bastard pinotage needs to be your first choice. Of course, it’s no surprise that you might already have enough chocolate to keep you going, thanks to a little furry visitor in the early hours of Easter!
“Whether you and your family celebrate Easter as a Christian holiday, or if you are just here for the chocolate, it’s a wonderful time to celebrate all the important things in life – family, friends, sharing, good food and great wine,” says Riekie Viljoen from FAT bastard.
