The Easter Table

Easter is a Christian holiday that symbolizes the victory of faith and life over death, and as such, is the most joyous Christian holiday. There are some beautiful customs tied to this holiday from around the world, and likewise among Serbs. The most recognizable is the gifting of coloured eggs. A red Easter egg is a joy for both the giver and the receiver. Eggs are coloured on Good Friday, according to tradition. It is best to colour the eggs with natural dyes that are made by cooking regular or purple onion peels, walnut shells, beets, spinach, or with turmeric or curry, which gives the eggs a beautiful yellow colour.

The first breaking of the long Easter fast is—appropriately—the Easter breakfast. It is served on a decorated table with an obligatory bowl of coloured eggs. Beside the eggs, the Easter bread, a cooked ham with horseradish, dairy products and various salads, and the irremissible heralds of spring—spring onions and radishes. Breakfast begins with the hardboiled eggs that all those present “face off” with one another and try to crack, which brings great delight to everyone and creates a nice atmosphere and general festivity at the table, particularly for the person whose egg “wins.”

Easter Braid (bread)

500g flour

1 package dry yeast

½ teaspoon salt

50g sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

125ml milk

2 eggs

60g butter

1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation:

Mix together flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and lemon zest.

Warm milk, and put the butter into it to melt as well. Once melted, add to the flour mixture to form a smooth dough.

Divide the dough into three parts and roll them into ribbons approximately 40cm long. Braid them into a braid, and if you wish, connect the ends to form a wreath.

Coat the braid/wreath with the egg and milk wash.

Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes.

Easter lunch is also served on a decorated table. Naturally, the table holds the coloured eggs, a roast, various salads, side dishes, and sweets. Here are a few suggestions on what to prepare for Easter lunch:

1. Chicken or veal soup with semolina dumplings. You can prepare the soup any way you usually prepare it, and I will give you the secret on how to make excellent dumplings every time. The basic measurement is one egg, a bit of salt, and three heaping tablespoons of coarse semolina. Mix this together and leave it to the side for some time—check that it is not too runny, and in that case, add more semolina. The most important thing is to not cook the dumplings in a boiling soup that will immediately break them apart. The key is to put them into the soup just before it is set to boil. Using a spoon, gently put each dumpling into the soup, wait for them to rise and cook slightly, then cover the soup and leave it for a few minutes before serving. You will be surprised when you lift the lid and see dumplings!

2. Lamb roast

3. Spring salad

4. Vasa’s Cake. They say that Vasa’s Cake is an authentic Serbian cake whose recipe stems from 1908. According to legend, it was created as a token of thanks from a father-in-law to his son-in-law Vasa Čokrljan from Paraćin, who took his wife to Viennese doctors as they were told that childbirth might endanger the lives of both mother and child. His wife Jelena brought to the world a healthy and robust baby, and we were left with the recipe for this Serbian culinary classic. Vasa’s Cake is an indispensible recipe for almost every celebration in a Serbian family, and the recipe can be found in most notebooks in the category “Definitely Make.”

Ingredients

Crust: Filling: Foam:

5 eggs 4 egg yolks 4 egg whites

60g sugar 60g sugar 250g sugar

1 tablespoon fine flour 125ml milk 180ml water

50g ground walnuts 125g sugar

200g ground walnuts

200g butter

1 orange

Preparation

Separate the egg whites and the yolks. Grate the orange zest and juice the orange. Beat the whites into stiff peaks. While beating, add the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Pour the flour, walnuts and yolks and lightly mix. Pour the whole mix into a mould and bake the crust in a 200°C oven for 25 minutes. Soak the walnuts for the filling in the milk, add the 125g of sugar and bring to a boil. Put the yolks and the 60g sugar into a bowl and beat them into the foam over steam and let cool. Whip the butter, add the soaked walnuts, the whipped yolks, and the orange zest and juice, and combine well. Cover the cooled crust with the filling and decorate with the egg white foam: boil the water and sugar until it attains a honey-like consistency. Beat the egg whites into firm peaks, and add the sugar syrup to constant mixing.