Easter themed recipes from Asda and Leith’s School of Food and Wine

Asda has teamed up with Leith’s School of Food and Wine to create a selection of Easter themed recipes for families to create over the long weekend, using ingredients from Asda’s premium Extra Special range. The recipes have been created by Camilla Schneideman, Managing Director of Leiths, to allow people to whip up recipes to impress, that are deliciously simple to make. There's even one to use up leftover Easter eggs !

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Mini chocolate truffle cakes

A rich, indulgent Easter treat the whole family will love

Makes 12

Ready in 45 minutes

125g Asda Unsalted Butter, softened

125g caster sugar

125g plain flour

2 level tbsp cocoa

2 large free-range eggs

2 level tsp baking powder

2-3tbsp milk

For the truffle topping

150g Asda Extra Special Dark Chocolate, grated or chopped into very small pieces

200ml Asda Double Cream

2 level tbsp caster sugar

Flake chocolate bar and mini sugar-coated eggs, to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole patty tin with large cupcake cases.

2. Put all the ingredients for the cakes except the milk into a bowl and beat together using an electric whisk or wooden spoon. Add the milk a little at a time to bring to a dropping consistency.
3. Share the mixture between the cake cases and bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

4. To make the truffle topping, put the chocolate into a bowl. Put the cream and caster sugar into a small saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly until spreadable.

5. When the cakes are cold, spread the soft, room temperature truffle topping over the top of each one. Crumble a Flake bar and sprinkle a little over the topping to make a small nest. Carefully place a couple of mini sugar-coated eggs on top of each one. Alternatively, dust the truffle topping with a little coca powder.
   

Chocolate Fondue

This is a great recipe to use up surplus Easter eggs – if you’ve got any, that is!

Serves 4-6

Ready in 10 minutes

150g Asda Extra Special Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces

250ml Asda Extra Special Extra Thick Channel Island Double Cream

2tbsp golden syrup

Asda Extra Special Strawberries (and other fresh fruit eg. pineapple and banana chunks) and marshmallows, to serve

1. Melt the chocolate with the cream and golden syrup in a bowl standing over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

2. Stir until completely smooth.

3. Put in the centre of the table and, using wooden skewers, dip the fruit and marshmallows into the chocolate.

Tip: Try adding the finely grated zest of ½ an orange or 2tbsp brandy or Cointreau to the fondue.

Smoked cod chowder

Served with crusty bread, this rich, creamy soup is really a meal in a bowl!

Serves 4

Ready in 30 minutes

25g Asda Unsalted Butter

1 medium onion, chopped

180g Asda Extra Special Dry Cured Oak Smoked Bacon Lardons

1 large potato, peeled and cut into small chunks

450ml fish or vegetable stock

150ml milk

150ml Asda Extra Special French Crème Fraîche d’Isigny

250g Asda Extra Special Line Caught Smoked Cod Loins, cut into small pieces

100g frozen petits pois

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onions over a low heat until soft and translucent.

2. Add the bacon and cook until golden.

3. Add the potatoes, stock and milk and bring to the boil. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are cooked.

4. Add the crème fraîche and bring up to a gentle simmer.

5. Add the cod and peas and continue to cook until the fish is cooked through – try not to stir too much or the fish will break up.

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Hot smoked salmon and king prawn pie

This pie is also delicious topped with puff pastry or mashed potato

Serves 4

Ready in 35 minutes

50g Asda salted butter

25g plain flour

150ml milk

150ml Asda Extra Special French Crème Fraîche d’Isigny

2tbsp chopped fresh parsley

200g Asda Extra Special Golden Roast Smoked Scottish Salmon, skin removed

240g Asda Extra Special Cooked Peeled Jumbo King Prawns

4 sheets filo pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.

2. Melt 25g butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add the flour and stir over the heat for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk.

3. Return the pan to the heat and, stirring continuously, slowly bring to the boil. Whisk in the crème fraîche.

4. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

5. Break the salmon into large flakes and carefully add to the sauce with the prawns. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

6. Melt the remaining butter. Brush each sheet of filo pastry with the butter and loosely scrunch up on the top of the fish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the filling hot.

Tip: Keep the filo pastry covered with a damp tea towel as you prepare each sheet or it will dry out.

Glazed gammon with leek and cider sauce

As an alternative to cider, you could try making this dish with apple juice

Serves 4 - 6

Ready in 1 hour 30 minutes

1-1.4kg Asda Extra Special Wiltshire Cured Unsmoked Silverside Gammon Joint

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

2 sprigs thyme

5 black peppercorns

440ml can dry cider

50g butter

4 small or 2 medium leeks, finely sliced and rinsed

50g plain flour

300ml milk

2tbsp Asda Extra Special Spanish Orange Blossom Honey

2tbsp Asda Extra Special Tewkesbury Mustard

4tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Asda Extra Special Creamy Marilyn Potatoes and Asda Extra Special Purple Sprouting Broccoli, to serve

1. Put the gammon joint in a large saucepan with the onion, carrot, thyme, peppercorns and cider. Cover the joint with cold water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes per 450g. (Make sure the water level is topped up to cover the joint during cooking.) 
    
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the leeks and cook over a very low heat until completely soft, but not brown.
   
3. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Set aside until the gammon is cooked. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
   
4. Remove the joint from the pan and leave to cool slightly. Turn the heat up and reduce the liquid by boiling rapidly until the flavour is strong, but not too salty. 
    
5. Wearing rubber gloves, remove the skin from the gammon but leave the fat underneath. Mix together the honey and mustard and spread over the gammon. Put it on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until brown and caramelised.
   
6. Strain the reduced cooking liquor and slowly add 200ml of it to the leek sauce, stirring. Bring the sauce up to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with pepper. Serve with the gammon, potatoes and purple sprouting broccoli.

Smoked mackerel pâté

You can make this pâté in advance and keep it well covered in the fridge for 2-3 days

Serves 4

Ready in 10 minutes

200g pack Asda Extra Special Chilli & Garlic Smoked Mackerel Strips

150ml Asda Extra Special French Crème Fraîche d’Isigny

Juice of ½ lemon

25g capers, rinsed, drained and chopped

25g gherkins, rinsed, drained and chopped

Asda Extra Special Artisan Bakery Sesame & Pumpkin Seed and Seeded Flatbreads and green salad, to serve

1. Remove any bones and the skin from the mackerel. Put the mackerel, crème fraîche and lemon juice into a processor and pulse until combined.
2. Turn into a bowl and add the capers and gherkins, and season with salt and pepper. Combine well and turn into 4 ramekins. Keep covered and chilled until ready to serve.
3. Serve with the flatbreads and a green salad.

Tip: Substitute the gherkins and capers with 1tbsp Asda Extra Special Horseradish Sauce and some chopped fresh parsley.

Tip: You could also make this recipe using smoked trout instead of mackerel.

Strawberry tartlets

It’s best to assemble the tartlets just before you serve them as the pastry cases can become soggy

Makes 8

Ready in 10 minutes

150ml Asda Extra Special Creamy French Whipped Soft Cheese

50g icing sugar

250ml Asda Extra Special Extra Thick Channel Island Double Cream

1tsp vanilla extract

Zest and juice ½ unwaxed lemon (optional)

250g pack Asda Extra Special Strawberries

8 Asda Extra Special All Butter Pastry Cases

For the glaze

2tbsp Asda Extra Special Strawberry Conserve

1. Put the soft whipped cheese in a bowl and mix in the icing sugar. Gradually stir in the cream, so you have a smooth mixture. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and zest, if using.

2. Share the cream mixture between the pastry cases and level the top.

3. Cut the green tops off the strawberries, then cut into halves or slices, depending on their size, and arrange over the tartlets.

4. For the glaze, melt the strawberry conserve with 1tbsp water. Brush over the tartlets and allow to cool.
   
   
   
   
   Other blogposts you may be interested in :
     
   Asda Easter goodies review 
   Owen Potts cookery challenge : Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
   Mother's Day recipes from New Zealand chef Annabel Langbein