Here's my menu for Easter 2016 - if you like the looks of it, you'll love this schedule and shopping list. ;)
Prep Schedule
Tuesday
If curing your own ham (which you need to if you get a natural ham), start brining it 72 hours before you want to cook it. Since we are sous viding, Brian started this on Tuesday. This is the step you need curing salt for below. If you get a ham a more conventional route (like, a grocery store) you will jump ahead a little and skip the curing salt and liquid smoke on the shopping list. ;)
Set up the ham to sous vide for 48 hours. (Start by noon or 1pm if serving around 2-3pm).
Make the shopping list
Go shopping
Drink a glass of wine and toast to the culinary adventure to come
Maybe dust something
Saturday
Bake and frost the carrot cake.
Steam and peel the eggs for the deviled eggs.
Make the potato gratin, up to the step where you add the onions. Cover and refrigerate. Caramelize the onions, cover and refrigerate.
Make the cheese sablés, but when it says to make a flat disk and refrigerate, instead roll it into logs, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment, and refrigerate overnight.
Make sweet tea, if room in the fridge. ;)
Sunday Morning
Take the gratin out of the fridge to come up towards room temp so you don't shock the dish when you put it in the oven.
Make sweet tea if no room yesterday - put it where the gratin was. ;)
Sunday - 2 1/2 hours before (11:30am here)
Make the deviled eggs - refrigerate until ready to serve (2pm for appetizers here).
Prep veggie tray.
Heat the oven to 400°F.
Cut cheese sablés into 1/4 inch slices, brush with glaze, and bake.
1 and 1/2 hours before
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Top the potato gratin with caramelized onions and bake for 30-40 minutes, until heated throughout.
Remove ham from sous vide. Make a glaze from the drippings.
Make the dressing for the peas and carrots.
1 hour before
Put out the appetizers. ;)
Make popovers. When gratin removed from oven, increase heat to 425°F. Bake popovers for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F, bake for 15 minutes more.
Once removed from the oven, increase oven temp back up to 450°F.
Steam the baby carrots and sugar snap peas, toss with dressing.
Make the carrot salad, let sit at room temperature.
20 minutes before
Put glaze on ham and cook in 450°F oven for 10-20 minutes.
Just before dinner
Top the carrot salad with the chives.
Slice the ham.
Shopping List
Produce:
dill
mint
parsley
chives
carrots (4 pounds total)
sugar snap peas (8 oz)
1-2 lemons
1 orange
2 1/2 pounds medium size baking potatoes
2 large onions
Dairy:
eggs (need 18 if doubling popovers and making 8 deviled eggs/16 halves)
1 pound cream cheese
2 cups half and half
3 1/2 oz sharp cheddar
1/2 cup finely grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
4 oz swiss cheese
butter (you'll need about 3 cups, all totaled)
Meat:
country ham
smoked salmon
Dry goods:
chopped walnuts (2 1/2 cups)
vanilla extract
all purpose flour (6 cups)
light brown sugar (2 cups)
1 pound confectioners sugar
raisins (1/2 cup)
dried currants (1/2 cup - sub dried cranberries if you can't find currants)
cream style horseradish (1/2 cup)
untoasted walnut oil (though toasted is fine too)
pink curing salt (we ordered from amazon)
liquid smoke flavor (again, amazon for us)
Probably have at home:
mayonnaise
dijon mustard
salt
pepper
kosher or sea salt
cayenne
onion powder
paprika
milk
sugar
oil (canola, corn, etc - 1 cup)
cinnamon
baking soda
baking powder
ground nutmeg
ground ginger
apple cider vinegar
honey
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
It looks like a lot of steps, but it includes all of the temperature changes. Having it all written out takes a lot of guessing and panic out of the day. I do this step blog post or no for big meals. :) Maybe someday I'll be so pro I don't need it, but today is not that day!
What about you? What is your must do holiday prep step?
