Stop stressing over the perfect Easter dinner, and let our amazing #anovafoodnerd family lead the way! Below, you'll find every recipe you need to build your dream menu, and deliver a feast of decadence to the dinner table with ease.
Sous Vide Ham with Balsamic Glaze
What you'll need:
- 1 bone-in half ham (7 to 10 pounds; 3.2 to 4.5kg)
- 1 cup/225g brown sugar
- 1 cup/240g balsamic vinegar
Directions:
1. Set Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 140°F / 60°C
2. Place ham in a large resealable ziploc bag or vacuum bag and sous vide for anywhere from 3 to 8 hours. Your ham will not overcook!
Finishing Steps:
1. Heat brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until melted. Continue to cook until deep brown but not black, and immediately add all of balsamic vinegar, standing back as you add it. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Reduce to a bare simmer and continue to cook until mixture is thick and syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower position and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) 30 minutes before ready to serve ham. Allow oven to preheat for 15 minutes. Remove ham from water bath, remove packaging, and place cut side down on a rack set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Wipe surface dry with paper towels and brush with glaze.
3. Place in oven and roast for 5 minutes. Pull out oven rack, apply another coat of glaze, and repeat. Repeat glazing step 2 more times. Remove ham from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
4. To carve ham, place cut side down on a cutting board and make a single slice right next to the bone, dividing ham in two. Place boneless side with the newly cut side facing down and slice thinly into serving pieces. Repeat with remaining ham, cutting it from the bone one section at a time before slicing it into serving portions.
Check out the full recipe from #anovafoonderd J. Kenji Lopez-Alt!
Sous Vide Honey-Rosemary Lamb Shank
What you'll need:
- 4 lamb shanks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour for dusting
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 4 medium carrots, medium dice
- 4 stalks celery, medium dice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup sherry wine vinegar
- 1 cup red wine
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 quart beef stock
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 dried bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Set Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 155°F /68.3°C.
2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season shanks generously with salt, dust with flour, and sear to golden brown on all sides.
3. Remove shanks and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high and add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for one minute.
4. Add vinegar, wine, honey, stock, rosemary, and bay leaves and cook for two minutes.
5. Add vegetables, sauce, and lamb shanks to vacuum or Ziploc plastic bag, seal, and cook for 48 hours.
Finishing Steps:
1. Remove shanks from bag and pat dry, reserving cooking liquid. Place shanks on roasting rack and broil until skin is golden brown, about five minutes. (Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.)
2. Add cooking liquid and vegetables to large saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until vegetables are tender and sauce is reduced by two-thirds, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove shanks from oven, sauce, and serve. For smaller portions, pull the meat from the shank in large chunks and serve with sauce.
Check out this wildly-delicious recipe from #anovafoodnerd Jeff Akin!
Sous Vide Brisket
What you'll need:
- 2-3 pound beef brisket (bigger is fine too!)
- 2 teaspoon black peppercorns, ground
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea or kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons saltpeter or prague powder
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
Directions:
1. Set Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 155°F / 68.3°C.
2. Rub brisket with salt, pepper, and prague powder/saltpeter.
3. If using handheld smoker, place brisket in large resealable ziplock bag and fill the bag with smoke. Quickly seal the bag and let rest 45 minutes to an hour to let smoke infuse. If not smoking, add liquid smoke to bag, seal, and proceed to next step.
4. Place brisket in water bath and sous vide for 24 hours.
Finishing Steps:1. Preheat oven to 450°F / 232°C.
2. Place brisket in oven, fat side up and roast for 30 minutes to caramelize the exterior and get it nice and crispy.
3. Remove brisket from oven and wrap in foil. Rest for 30 minutes.
4. Slice the brisket across the grain, and enjoy smoky, impeccably cooked brisket!
Get the deets on this flavor-packed treat from #anovafoodnerd Zach Johnston!
Sous Vide Candied Sweet Potatoes
What you'll need:
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 slices
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 medium oranges, juice and zest
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cinnamon stick
Directions:
1. Set Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 155°F/ 68.3°C.
2. In a vacuum or Ziploc plastic bag, seal sweet potatoes and ¼ cup of butter. Cook for two hours.
Finishing Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove sweet potatoes from bag and pat dry. Discard cooking liquid.
2. Arrange sweet potatoes evenly in baking dish.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring ¼ cup of butter, maple syrup, orange zest, salt, walnuts, and cinnamon stick to a boil, remove from heat, and pour over sweet potatoes.
4. Bake for 30 minutes and serve warm.
Bonus tip: Cook this sweet and savory treat in the same bath as your lamb shank or brisket!
Check out the full recipe from #anovafoodnerd Jeff Akin!
Sous Vide Carrots with Carrot Top Pesto
What you'll need:
- 1 pound baby carrots, peeled (tops reserved for pesto)
- ¼ cup (59 ml) Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ cup (59 ml) pine nuts, toasted
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup (59 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons (44 ml) fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 180°F / 82.2°C.
2. Seal carrots in a zip or vacuum bag and cook for 45 minutes.
Finishing Steps:
1. In a food processor, pulse the cheese, nuts, garlic, and carrot tops until coarsely ground. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and puree until blended and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and serve on top of carrots.
Get this super-simple veggie side from #anovafoodnerd Emily Farris!
Sous Vide Asparagus Vinaigrette
What you'll need:
- 1 bunch large asparagus
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 hard-boiled egg, cooled and roughly chopped
- Chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 185ºF (85ºC).
2. Slice off fibrous bottoms of the asparagus and discard. Peel the bottom three-quarters of each stalk and place in a single layer in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag Season with salt and pepper.
3. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 15 minutes. You may need to weigh down the bag.
Finishing Steps:
1. While the asparagus is cooking, prepare the vinaigrette: Combine the olive oil, Dijon, and vinegar in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Season with salt and pepper. Seal the jar and shake vigorously until the dressing is emulsified.
2. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and immediately transfer to an ice bath.
3. When the asparagus is cool, remove from the bag and discard any cooking liquid. Place asparagus on a serving plate and drizzle with vinaigrette. Top with egg and parsley. Serve.
Get the full recipe from #anovafoodnerd Kate Williams!
Let's Cook!
Phew, all right! Now it's time to pick your favorite dishes from above, compile your perfect menu, and reap the benefits of perfectly-prepared food this Easter weekend!
Get these and more recipes on the Anova Recipes Site, and on the Anova Culinary App! Happy cooking, nerds.