Curtis Stone's
Easter Menu
Honey-Bourbon Glazed Ham
Herb-Roasted Salmon with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
Corn Salad
Charred Asparagus Salad with Lemon-Shallot Dressing
Coconut Cake with
Strawberry Sauce
» Find more recipes on our website!
Easter is a holiday marked by tradition, and at chef Curtis Stone's home, these traditions are centered around family and food. “Easter is great when you have young kids,” he says. “It’s another opportunity to get the family together, share a delicious meal, and spend time with one another.” The festivities begin on Good Friday, with a zesty salmon dinner. “Salmon is such a nice fish this time of year,” says Curtis, who serves up a roasted fillet family-style. On Easter Sunday, it’s time for an egg hunt with chocolates (a tradition from his own childhood) with his two young boys. Once they’ve worked up an appetite, ham with a sweet and smoky glaze is on the menu, plus a decadent coconut cake for dessert. Balancing out all of the indulgence? “Lots of beautiful veggies, of course!” he says.3
Holidays with Curtis
Honey-Bourbon Glazed Ham
SERVES 8-10 PREP 10 min.,
PLUS 10 MIN. RESTING TIME
COOK 2 hours 35 MIN.
MAKE-AHEAD Glaze can be made up to
3 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated.
Rewarm before using.
HAM
2 carrots, peeled, cut into large
chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into large
chunks
1 yellow onion, cut into large
chunks
One 8- to 10-lb. cured, smoked,
and fully cooked bone-in ham
(shank end)
GLAZE AND PAN SAUCE
1 cup honey
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup bourbon
8 tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter,
divided
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs. chopped fresh thyme
leaves
POSITION oven rack in lowest position
and preheat oven to 350°F.
PLACE carrots, celery, and onion in a
13x9-inch baking dish. Remove all
packaging from ham and pat dry. Run
a small, sharp knife down back of ham
and, using your fingers, gently separate
skin from fat. Remove and discard skin.
Run knife over fat in a crisscross pattern
to lightly score it all over. Place ham in
baking dish. Cover dish tightly with foil
and bake for 1½ to 2 hours, or until ham
is warmed through (an instant-read
thermometer inserted into thickest
part of ham will register 110°F).
MEANWHILE, in a medium saucepan
over medium heat, bring honey,
vinegar, bourbon, 4 tbs. butter, sugar,
and Worcestershire sauce to boil. Cook
8 to 10 minutes, or until reduced by
half. Remove from heat. Reserve
½ cup glaze for pan sauce.
INCREASE oven temperature to 400°F.
USE a pastry brush to brush some
of the remaining glaze all over ham.
Return ham to oven uncovered and
cook, basting it every 10 minutes with
sauce, for 30 minutes, or until ham is
evenly glazed and caramelized and an
instant-read thermometer inserted into
thickest part of ham registers 130°F.
TRANSFER ham to platter and rest 10
minutes. Strain pan drippings into tall,
narrow container. Skim off fat that rises
to surface. Reserve 2 cups pan juices.
STIR reserved pan juices, reserved
glaze, 4 tbs. butter, and thyme in
a small saucepan over medium
heat until butter melts. Serve ham,
spooning pan sauce over slices.
Corn Salad
SERVES 6 PREP 10 MIN.
COOK 15 MIN.
MAKE-AHEAD Dressing can be made up to 2 hours ahead, covered, and kept at
room temperature.
6 ears yellow corn, husks
removed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and
cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 red onion, cut crosswise into
½-inch-thick slices
2/3 cup olive oil, divided
1 lemon, zested, juiced
1 lime, zested, juiced
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
leaves, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely
Chopped
PREAPRE grill for medium-high heat.
Coat corn, peppers, and red onion in
2 tbs. oil and season with salt and
pepper. Grill vegetables, turning
occasionally, until lightly charred, about
6 minutes for peppers, 8 minutes for
onions, and 12 minutes for corn. Let cool.
MEANWHILE, to make dressing, in small
bowl whisk lemon zest, 2 tbs. lemon
juice, lime zest and 1 tbs. lime juice.
Slowly whisk in ½ cup oil until blended.
Season with salt and pepper.
CUT corn kernels off cobs into large
bowl. Dice cooked peppers and
onions and add to corn kernels. Stir
in dressing, green onions, and herbs.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve at
room temperature.
Herb-Roasted Salmon with
Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
SERVES 6 PREP 10 MIN.
COOK 18 MIN.
MAKE-AHEAD Cucumber-yogurt sauce
can be made up to 1 day ahead,
covered, and refrigerated.
3 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil,
divided
One 2½-lb. to 3-lb. skin-on salmon
fillet (from head end)
3 tbs. finely chopped fresh
chives
3 tbs. finely chopped fresh dill
3 tbs. finely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 lemons, zested, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ English cucumber, grated
PREHEAT oven to 450°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly
brush center of parchment with
1 tsp. oil.
PLACE salmon, skin side down, on
baking sheet. Brush with 1 tbs. oil and
season with salt and pepper. In small
bowl, mix chives, dill, and parsley;
sprinkle over salmon. Transfer to oven
and roast 16 to 18 minutes, or until
salmon is cooked but still slightly
rosy in center.
MEANWHILE, in medium bowl, mix
remaining oil, yogurt, lemon zest,
3 tbs. lemon juice, and garlic. Stir in
grated cucumber. Season with salt
and pepper.
RUN long, offset spatula under salmon
to loosen from parchment. Transfer
salmon on parchment to platter.
Carefully slide salmon off parchment
onto platter.
CUT salmon on slight bias and gently
lift away from skin. Serve with
cucumber-yogurt sauce.
Try this dish for
Passover, too!
Charred Asparagus Salad
with Lemon-Shallot
Dressing
SERVES 6 PREP 15 MIN.
COOK 4 MIN.
MAKE-AHEAD Dressing can be made
up to 1 day ahead, covered, and
refrigerated.
2 bunches asparagus (about
2 lb.), woody ends trimmed
1 bunch green onions
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil,
divided
2 tbs. finely chopped shallots
1 tbs. coarsely chopped drained
capers
1 tbs. finely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested, juiced
PREPARE grill for high heat. On large
baking sheet, toss asparagus and
green onions with 1 tbs. oil and season
with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables,
turning as needed, for 2-4 minutes, or
until asparagus and onions are lightly
charred and crisp-tender. MEANWHILE, in small bowl, whisk
shallots, capers, parsley, vinegar,
lemon zest, 2 tbs. lemon juice, ¼ tsp.
salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. Slowly whisk
in ¼ cup oil.
TRANSFER vegetables to platter. Spoon
dressing over and serve.
Coconut Cake with
Strawberry Sauce
SERVES 12 PREP 50 MIN., PLUS 2 HOURS 15 MIN.
INACTIVE TIME Cook 40 MIN.
MAKE-AHEAD Cake can be assembled up to 3 days
ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Cake is best
served at room temperature.
CAKE
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened,
plus extra for brushing
3 cups cake flour, sifted, plus extra for
dusting
5 large egg whites
½ cup whole milk
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
4 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 1/3 cups granulated sugar
FROSTING AND FILLING
2 lb. cream cheese, softened
12 tbs. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tbs. pure coconut extract
1/3 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
2 ¾ cups sweetened shredded coconut,
divided
Strawberry Sauce (see recipe)
POSITION rack in center of oven and preheat oven
to 350°F. Lightly brush inside of two 8-inch round
cake pans with softened butter and line bottoms
with parchment paper. Dust sides of pans with
flour and tap out excess flour.
WHISK egg whites, whole milk, and coconut milk
in a small bowl to blend. In large bowl, mix flour,
baking powder, and salt to blend. In another large
bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat butter and
sugar on high speed 2 minutes, or until light and
fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just
until blended. Gradually add egg mixture, beating
just until blended.
DIVIDE batter between prepared pans, using about
3 ½ cups per pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until
toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out
with few moist crumbs attached. Cool cakes in
pans 15 minutes. Run small knife around edges
and invert cakes onto wire rack to cool completely
(this will help level them out).
BEAT cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar,
and coconut extract with an electric hand mixer
on medium speed in large bowl 6 to 8 minutes, or
until smooth and fluffy. Transfer 4 ½ cups of cream
cheese mixture to another bowl, and reserve as
frosting. Stir coconut milk into remaining cream
cheese mixture. Gently fold in whipped cream.
Transfer filling to large resealable bag and cut
1-inch opening at bottom corner of bag.
TRANSFER cakes to level work surface. Brush away
any loose crumbs. Using long serrated knife,
halve each cake horizontally into two even layers.
Dab some frosting on cake plate to keep cake
from moving and center 1 cake layer, cut side
up, on frosting. Place 2-inch strips of parchment
paper under edges of cake to keep plate clean
while assembling. Pipe thick ring of filling around
edge of cake. Pipe enough filling to fill center
while maintaining level with ring. Sprinkle ¼ cup
shredded coconut over filling. Repeat layering 2
more times. Top with fourth cake layer, cut side
down.
USE offset spatula to spread 2 cups reserved
frosting over top and sides of cake to form smooth
thin layer. Refrigerate cake 30 minutes, or until
frosting is not tacky. Spread remaining frosting
all over cake to form smooth coat and cover with
2 cups shredded coconut. Refrigerate cake 30
minutes, or until firm. Remove strips of parchment
paper.
SLICE cake and serve with strawberry sauce.
Strawberry Sauce
SERVES 12 PREP 2 MIN., PLUS 30 MIN. CHILLING
TIME
MAKE-AHEAD Sauce can be made up to 2 hours
ahead, covered, and refrigerated.
1 lb. small fresh strawberries, hulled,
thickly sliced
3 tbs. granulated sugar
1 tbs. fresh lime juice
TOSS strawberries, sugar, and lime juice to coat
in a large bowl. Set aside, tossing occasionally,
for 30 minutes, or until sugar dissolves and
strawberries soften slightly.
Cook the cover!