L’Age Baston Easter Feast Menu
It’s official. Alexandra really enjoys cooking. This is probably just as well as she spends a lot of time in the kitchen in the summer. You already know Alex puts superb meals on the table at L’Age Baston, day after day, and that she teaches French Country Cooking to jolly groups French Country Cookers. What you may not know is that Alex also spends a lot of time ‘hors-saison’ researching new recipes for your delight and diversion.
Lucky the man at L’Age Baston when Alex is in residence, trying out new dishes! This week she put a new menu on trial; refined the recipes, checked the ingredients, adjusted the cooking times, made notes on the seasoning and then forced me to photograph and eat it. Someone had to do it. I just love the earthy taste of truffle! So here is our suggested Easter Feast menu with the recipes:
Fennel & Orange Salad
Easter Gigot of Salt-Marsh Lamb
Flan Maraîchin
The Fennel starter is a refreshing and crunchy mouthful, the Salt-Marsh lamb with truffles and asparagus is slightly decadent and the Flan Maraîchin is rich and creamy with intriguing notes of vanilla. We think it’s a great way to celebrate the end of lent………if you needed an excuse that is!
- Recipe – How to make a Fennel & Orange Salad
- Recipe – How to make Easter Gigot of Salt-Marsh Lamb
- Recipe – How to make a Flan Maraîchin
Fennel & Orange Salad
Everyone loves this salad at L’Age Baston. The aniseed hit from the fennel combines beautifully with the more penetrating flavours of the red onion. The oranges give a surprisingly strong and pleasant sweet note while the rocket and young mixed leaves supply different hint of clean sharpness. All very fresh in the mouth and all delightfully full of the joys of spring. A winner every time!
Easter Gigot of Salt-Marsh Lamb
Salt-marsh (salt-meadow) lamb comes from animals raised and fattened on tidal marshland and meadows. In the UK this was traditionally from places like Romney Marsh. In France it’s the lowlands of the Vendee and around Mont St Michel that take pride of place. Salt-marsh lamb is quite simply the best there is. If you can find it then it’s well worth paying a premium for that extra taste. Our recipe is actually a bit of an indulgence and the truffles and asparagus turn this into very special dish indeed. It’s for special occasions but basically a recipe big on clear, classic flavours assembled in a deceptively subtle but simple way.
Flan Maraîchin
You sometimes see this mistranslated as ‘egg custard.’ Here, it is our regional variation of the classic French ‘Flan aux ouefs. “Maraîchin” means it’s from the Marais-Poitevin which is to the north west of us. This is a delicious dessert; rich and creamy with intriguing notes of vanilla and cinnamon and with melt-in-the-mouth pastry. The French usually serve it with strawberries or raspberries. It is best served at just below room temperature and in fact keeps quite well. Funny thing though, it never seems to last very long at all here at L’Age Baston.
Bon Appetite 🙂