3 egg recipes perfect for Easter Weekend and beyond
From three Canadian chefs, these fresh, local egg recipes will delight guests at any Easter gathering, whether they're served for brunch, lunch or dinner.
When we were kids, we always looked forward to hunting down eggs scattered around the house on Easter. Now, we've swapped chocolate eggs for the real thing as we welcome friends and family into our homes for a hearty meal over the long weekend. (That won't stop us from snacking on chocolate, of course.)
Eggs aren't just for breakfast, and we've got three mouth-watering Easter egg recipes from stellar Canadian chefs that are sure to impress. Lighter than a meaty roast, these protein-packed egg recipes are perfect for spring, and the dessert is the definition of a crowd-pleaser. Pick which egg recipes will compliment your feast — if your Easter celebration includes food this year, you're covered from appetizer to dessert. Pair the egg tart, pizza or crème brûlée with one of these delicious hosting bottles, or a sparkling cocktail, to complete the meal.
If your guests are invited for lunch or dinner, make sure to prepare a few finger foods to keep ravenous appetites at bay. These three tasty egg recipes are nutritious, delicious and easy to make this Easter.
Chef Dale Mackay’s Mushroom, Egg and Onion Goat Cheese Tart
Made using fresh Canadian eggs and flavourful goat cheese, mushrooms and onions, this sophisticated tart is an easy crowd-pleaser for brunch gatherings or a dinner party appetizer.
Serves 8
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Ingredients
½ cup soft goat cheese
¼ cup and 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 thawed puff pastry sheet (10x10 inches)
3 cups button mushrooms
⅔ cup onion
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
Method
In a medium bowl, mix soft goat cheese, ¼ cup grated parmesan and one egg with a spatula until combined. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Take the puff pastry out of the freezer and put it onto a sheet tray leaving the parchment paper underneath. Preheat oven to 415 F.
Cut the mushrooms and onions into ¼-inch thick slices. Heat a large frying pan on high heat and add vegetable oil. Carefully add mushrooms to the pan and sauté until lightly browned. Add diced onions to the pan, turning the heat down to medium, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add minced garlic and salt and cook for 1 more minute. Take mixture off heat and place onto a tray allowing it to cool.
In a small bowl, whip remaining egg. Using a pastry brush, generously glaze the entire puff pastry sheet. Once puff pastry is glazed and thawed enough to bend it without cracking, fold the pastry edges over ½ inch on each side, creating a small border around the sheet. Glaze the border with egg wash.
Evenly spread the goat cheese mix inside the puff pastry border. Next, evenly spread the sauteed mushrooms and onions on top of the goat cheese mix.
Place pastry in preheated oven for 16–18 minutes, cooking until all sides are dark brown. Once out of oven, sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese and chopped parsley over tart. Cut into portions and eat warm or at room temperature.
Chef Craig Flinn’s Full English Breakfast Pizza
This fun flatbread recipe, topped with tomatoes, bacon, mushrooms, eggs and plenty of cheese, combines breakfast and dinner for a dish that can be served at any time of day.
Serves 4
Preparation time 35 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 medium yellow potato
3 Campari or plum tomatoes
4 button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch salt and pepper
1 frozen puff pastry sheet (8 oz), fully thawed
½ cup white cheddar cheese, grated
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
5 large eggs
3 slices back or peameal bacon
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Flaky sea salt
HP Sauce or similar sauce (optional)
Method
Pierce potato with a fork and place in the microwave, cooking on high for 7 minutes, until it's softened. Let potato cool and then peel and grate. Place grated potato in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Quarter tomatoes and slice mushrooms. In a small bowl, toss tomatoes and sliced mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them out on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside.
Remove thawed puff pastry from package and lay it on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough until it's around 9 x 14 inches. Place dough on a lined baking tray. With a sharp knife, lightly cut a slash along the edge of the puff pastry, ½ inch from the edge, being careful not to cut through the dough. Use a fork to pierce the dough inside the slash line all over the surface.
Crack one egg into a small bowl and beat well. Brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Bake the puff pastry for 10 minutes, until it begins to rise but isn’t fully cooked; remove from the oven. Set aside for a few minutes.
Add remainder of beaten egg to the bowl containing the grated potato. Add the grated white cheddar cheese and chopped rosemary and mix well. Spread the mixture onto the puff pastry inside the raised edges. Add the roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and strips of back bacon evenly over the pizza.
Use the back of a spoon to make four light depressions in the toppings of the pizza to crack each of the four remaining eggs. Put pizza in oven and bake for 8 or 9 minutes until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny. For a firmer egg yolk, bake for a few more minutes.
Garnish with parsley and season each egg with freshly grated pepper and a little flaky sea salt. Serve with HP Sauce or a similar style steak or “brown” sauce for an authentic English taste.
Chef Minh Phat’s Crème Brûlée Tart
Serve this sweet, eggy dessert after brunch, lunch or dinner. Its shortcrust pastry exterior, creamy filling and crisp caramelized top make it the perfect ending to any meal.
Serves 10
Preparation time 30 minutes
Cooking time 90 minutes
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
Crème Brûlée
2 cups 35% cream
8 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Additional sugar for caramelized topping
Method
In a mixer, combine flour, sugar and baking powder, adding butter in small pieces. Once mixture is crumbly, crack in eggs, mixing until a ball of dough forms. Wrap it in cling wrap and put it in the fridge for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Take dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface, until it is roughly ½-mm thick. Transfer into an 11-inch tart pan. Prick dough with a fork for aeration and place parchment paper on top. Place pie weights or dried beans on top of the parchment paper to keep it in place and prevent pastry from puffing up too much in the oven as it bakes.
Bake for 30–40 minutes or until dough is golden brown. Take pan out and let it cool.
Lower oven temperature to 315 F.
To make the crème brûlée, heat cream in a saucepan on the lowest heat.
Separately, crack the eggs, separating the yolks from the whites. Add sugar and vanilla extract to egg yolks, incorporating them together. You can save the egg whites to make other complimentary dessert dishes like meringue cookies or use in a cocktail.
Remove cream from the stove.
Slowly incorporate cream into egg yolk mixture with a spatula, avoiding air bubbles. Then pour mixture into cooled tart crust.
Bake tart for 30–45 minutes at 315 F, until it sets.
Allow tart to chill for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Before serving, sprinkle with sugar and caramelize by either placing tart back in the oven on broil for 2–3 minutes, until golden brown, or by using a torch.
