French Recipes for Easter (2024)

FAQs

What is the traditional French meal for Easter? ›

Easter traditions in France include chocolate, bells, eggs, rabbits, chicken and lamb! French people traditionally eat lamb at Easter, the most traditional dish is a leg of lamb cooked in the oven with provençal herbs, cumin, garlic and olive oil.

A chocolate tart, a chocolate cake or chocolate mousses served in individual cups are definite crowd-pleasers. And for those who want more freshness for their traditional Easter dessert, tarts and cakes showcasing in-season lemon, strawberries and rhubarb are also very popular.

What's a traditional Easter menu include? The main dish for an Easter meal varies, but some typical dishes include honey-baked ham, pot roast, pork chops, and fish. Some popular side dishes include scalloped or mashed potatoes, spring vegetables, and dinner rolls.

Probably the strangest thing for an expat in France to get their head around is the lack of Easter Bunny. We Anglos know that it's an enormous adorable fluffy bunny that brings us chocolate eggs at Easter – but in France it's bells. Yes, bells. Which is insane, bells don't even have hands/paws.

As in other traditionally Christian countries, you'll find Easter eggs in abundance in France in the run up to Easter. These are chocolate eggs of different shapes that come in all sorts of colours and patterns.

The next course, typically the main course, might consist of beef bourguignon (last Sunday's menu), grilled salmon, stuffed tomatoes, or roast capon or some other regional specialty. The entrée is typically served with rice or potatoes. Again, bread is served as part of this course, and wine glasses are replenished.

An Easter ham is a classic, and we've got 5+ solid recipes for you to try (including one in made easy on a sheet pan). If you're looking to branch out, check out our recipes for other meaty holiday showstoppers, like braised lamb shank, pork loin roast, and beef wellington.

Traditionally, the baskets are filled with: decorated hardboiled eggs (representing Christ's Resurrection); lamb-shaped butter or sugar (representing Christ as the “Lamb of God”); bread (reminding us that Jesus is the “Bread of Life”); meats, such as ham (symbolic of great joy and abundance), sausage (symbolic of God's ...

"Pâquerettes," known as daisies in English, are small, charming wildflowers that are closely associated with the arrival of spring and Easter in France. The name "pâquerette" itself is derived from "Pâques," the French word for Easter, underlining the flower's connection to this time of year.

How is Easter different in France? ›

Instead of the Easter bunny bringing the Easter eggs, children in France are told it is the Easter bells. “Les cloches volantes.” The Church bells are silent from Good Friday as a sign of mourning for Jesus. The story goes that the bells then fly to Rome, and they carry with them the grief of all those who mourn Jesus.

French Easter staple, roast leg of lamb symbolizes the Lamb of God in Christian Easter celebrations. This succulent dish is often slow-cooked with fragrant herbs de Provence, garlic, and olive oil, resulting in a flavorful and tender centerpiece for the Easter meal.

One of the man Easter traditions in France are the Easter bells. On Maundy Thursday, the last Thursday before Easter, church bells are silenced to mourn the death of Christ, and remain silent until Easter Sunday. Legend dictates that the bells fly to Rome and are blessed by the Pepe!

Roast lamb studded with rosemary & garlic

Make traditional spring lamb the centrepiece of your celebratory lunch. This simple and succulent roast leg is studded with rosemary and garlic for a real flavour boost.

Traditionally, the baskets are filled with: decorated hardboiled eggs (representing Christ's Resurrection); lamb-shaped butter or sugar (representing Christ as the “Lamb of God”); bread (reminding us that Jesus is the “Bread of Life”); meats, such as ham (symbolic of great joy and abundance), sausage (symbolic of God's ...