Easter recipes in France start with two things: eggs and asparagus
Easter recipes in France have always been built around what the season gives you. Two ingredients above all others define the Pâques table: eggs, which have been at the heart of Easter since long before Christianity, and asparagus, which comes into season at exactly the right moment every spring. Here is why both matter, and why they are all over this collection.
The egg and its history
Eggs were linked to Easter long before the Christian tradition. Pagan civilisations celebrated the return of spring with feasts that honoured flowering trees, the warming sun, and the fertility of birds. Eggs were part of that. When Christianity spread through Europe, the egg carried its symbolism with it.
What made eggs so central to the Easter meal specifically was Lent. For forty days before Easter, practicing Christians did not eat eggs. The eggs laid during that period were preserved and saved. On Easter Sunday, they were given as decorated gifts, a symbol of fertility and new life after weeks of fasting. That is why, when the fast ended, eggs came back to the table in every form possible: boiled, poached, baked, stuffed. The mimosa eggs in this collection are a direct continuation of that tradition.
Asparagus: the vegetable Louis XIV could not get enough of
Asparagus has been on the Easter table for a very long time. The Romans ate it. The Egyptians cultivated it. And Louis XIV was reportedly obsessed with it, which is part of why French kitchen gardens took it so seriously.
It makes practical sense too. Asparagus is harvested from March to June, which means Easter falls right at the start of the season. White, green, or purple, it works hot or cold, in a starter or alongside a main. Its flavour is subtly nutty, and after a winter of heavy food, it is exactly what the table needs. If you are wondering why asparagus appears more than once in this collection, that is your answer.
What Pâques actually means
The French word “Pâques” comes from the Hebrew “Pessah”, meaning “passing way”, the same root as Passover. Easter is the most important celebration in the French Catholic calendar, marking the resurrection of Christ and the end of Lent. Easter Monday, Lundi de Pâques, is a public holiday in France. Most things close. Families gather. The meal is not optional.
The traditional Easter delivery system is also worth knowing, because it is not a rabbit. In France, it is the church bells, les cloches de Pâques. The tradition goes back to the 7th century, when the Catholic church forbade the ringing of bells between Good Friday and Easter Sunday as a sign of mourning. The story told to children was that the bells grew wings and flew to Rome to be blessed by the Pope, collecting chocolate along the way. On Sunday morning, when the bells ring out again, someone shouts “les cloches sont passées!” and the egg hunt begins. That is why French chocolate shops fill up with bell-shaped chocolates every April, alongside eggs, hens, and fish.
What is in this collection
These Easter recipes cover every part of the meal. Easter appetizers to start, a proper Easter dinner built around fish and spring vegetables, Easter brunch ideas for a more relaxed gathering, and Easter desserts worth saving room for.
Several can be made in advance. The brioche dough is better made the night before. The meringues keep in a tin for three days. The tarte au citron is genuinely better the following day. The mimosa eggs can be assembled a few hours ahead and kept in the fridge.
Mimosa Eggs (French Deviled Eggs)
Hard-boiled eggs filled with their own yolks whipped with mayonnaise and mustard until creamy, then topped with a dusting of grated yolk that looks like golden mimosa flowers. The filling is smooth and rich with a sharp mustard tang that stops it being too heavy, whilst the whites are firm and slightly springy. They're creamy, tangy, savory, and surprisingly moreish, the French apéritif that never goes out of style. Simple, elegant, and they taste like spring sunshine looks.
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Sorrel Soup
Sharp, velvety, and intensely green, until it hits the heat and turns the colour of wet leaves. Soupe à l'oseille is one of those French dishes tastes like spring. The sorrel melts in the pan, the potatoes absorb all that bright acidity, and the crème fraîche pulls it together into something silky and just a little bit surprising.
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Brandade de Morue
This creamy, garlicky mash of tender cod and potatoes richly blended with golden olive oil speaks straight to the heart of southern France. It’s rustic yet refined, comforting yet sophisticated and above all a celebration of the Mediterranean lifestyle in every spoonful.
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Baked Trout with Dijon Mustard
Roasted trouts until the skin crisps at the edges and the flesh pulls away from the bone. The coating is moutarde de Dijon and crème fraîche are sharp, slightly caramelised, with just enough richness from the cream to take the edge off. Butter, dill, and lemon slices steam gently as the fish cooks and make the whole dish smell like spring.
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Baked Asparagus
Perfectly roasted green asparagus with whole garlic cloves that turn sweet and sticky in the oven. The asparagus gets tender with crispy, caramelised tips whilst the garlic mellows into something you'll want to squeeze out and spread on everything. Finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon and flaky salt. Simple and seasonal.
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Salmon Florentine
Salmon fillets seared until golden, then nestled into a silky sauce of cream, white wine and wilted spinach. This is saumon à la Florentine, a proper French bistro dish that looks impressive but takes about half an hour from start to finish. One pan. Minimal washing up. Maximum smugness.
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Chive Blossom Butter
Silky butter infused with delicate purple chive blossoms tastes like proper spring. The mild onion sweetness pairs brilliantly over grilled fish, spring vegetables, or just perfect on crusty bread. Stunning presentation, sublime taste!
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Spinach Ricotta Tarts
These little tarts are perfect as snacks, for picnics or as appetizers. The ricotta keeps everything creamy without being heavy, the spinach adds that slight mineral taste, and the peas give you little bursts of sweetness. All wrapped up in buttery puff pastry!
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Salad Niçoise
This Salad Niçoise captures the sunny, fresh vibe of the French Riviera. It’s a beautiful mix of crisp vegetables, salty olives and anchovies, tender tuna and perfectly boiled eggs, each ingredient singing on its own but coming together as something truly special.
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Asparagus Omelette with Goat’s Cheese
A softly set French omelette filled with quickly sautéed green asparagus and creamy chèvre frais, served with dressed rocket leaves on the side. The eggs are pale and yielding, the asparagus keeps a bit of bite, and the goat's cheese melts just enough to turn creamy and tangy throughout. This is spring cooking at its most straightforward, seasonal, fast, and properly good.
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Garlic Butter Scallops
Proper French garlic butter scallops done the way they've been doing them in Brittany for centuries. No cream, no fancy additions, just sweet scallops with persillade, that addictive garlic, parsley, and butter mixture that the French put on everything.
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Broccoli Fish Bake
Flaky white fish baked with broccoli and potatoes in creamy béchamel, finished with golden, buttery breadcrumbs. This is French gratin technique at its best, layers of good ingredients cooked slowly until everything melds together and the top goes crispy.
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Strawberry Tart
A crisp, buttery pâte sablée shell filled with vanilla-scented diplomat cream and topped with rows of perfectly ripe strawberries. The cream is light and mousse-like, the pastry crumbles cleanly with each bite, and the strawberries taste like the sweet summer. Make this when strawberries are at their peak and you want to create something that looks as stunning as it tastes.
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Meringues
The outside shatters, giving way to crisp layers that dissolve instantly on your tongue. These are perfect French meringues, impossibly light yet somehow rich, with nothing but pure sweetness and a whisper of vanilla and almond. These large bakery-style meringues are what you see in every French pâtisserie window: crackling exterior, airy interior.
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Tarte au Citron
Buttery, crisp pâte sucrée that crumbles perfectly under your fork, filled with intensely sharp lemon curd that's silky smooth and makes your mouth pucker in the best way. The meringue on top is torched until the peaks turn golden and taste faintly of marshmallow and burnt sugar. It's sweet, it's sour, it's rich but somehow refreshing, and after one slice you'll immediately want another.
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Brioche
This classic French bread sits somewhere between a bread and a pastry, with an airy crumb that melts in your mouth and a slight crispness on the crust that’s pure comfort. Whether you’re spreading it with jam, dunking it in coffee, or using it to make the dreamiest French toast, homemade brioche is about taking a moment to indulge in simple, beautiful baking.
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Chocolat eclairs
Classic French chocolate éclairs with light-as-air choux pastry, silky vanilla crème pâtissière, glossy chocolate glaze, and elegant chocolate curls on top. The pastry crisps up beautifully whilst the filling stays cool and creamy. The chocolate shavings add texture and make them look absolutely stunning.
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Oeufs au Lait
Smooth, wobbly baked custard with a layer of amber caramel on top. It's delicate and silky, infused with vanilla, tasting of eggs and milk and not much else, but in the best way. Simple, comforting, old-fashioned in the way good things often are. The kind of dessert French families have been serving at Sunday lunch since the Middle Ages.
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Blueberry Pachade (Rustic Pancake)
Two thick, golden pancakes from the heart of the Auvergne, sandwiched together with sweetened blueberries. The edges crisp slightly in the pan, the inside stays soft and yielding, and the blueberries collapse just enough to become jammy without losing their shape. Quick to make, wonderfully simple, and far more delicious than you’d ever expect.
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How to plan your Easter menu without overcomplicating it
The French approach to a long Easter lunch is to do as much as possible before the day itself. These Easter recipes are built with that in mind.
For a full Easter dinner
Start with the sorrel soup. Follow with one of the fish dishes and the baked asparagus alongside. Finish with the strawberry tart or tarte au citron. Put the mimosa eggs out while people arrive.
The sorrel soup reheats well. The tarte au citron should be made the day before anyway. The strawberry tart pastry case and the crème pâtissière can both be prepared in advance and assembled on the day. Most of the work is done before anyone arrives.
For Easter brunch ideas
Make the brioche dough the night before and bake it in the morning. Both the brioche and the meringues are much easier with a stand mixer, I recommend using the KitchenAid and would not attempt either without it. Add the asparagus omelette with goat’s cheese, put meringues out with cream and strawberries, and let people help themselves.
For Easter appetizers
The mimosa eggs are worth making regardless of what else is on the table. They look more involved than they are. The brandade de morue also works well here, served with toast, and can be prepared and reheated in advance.
The Easter desserts question
If you can only make one, make the tarte au citron. Make it the day before, keep it in the fridge, and bring it out when everyone thinks they are done eating. It is always the one people ask about on the way home.
Happy Easter. Spring is finally here, and these Easter recipes are the best way I know to celebrate it.
Which of these Easter recipes are you planning to make? Drop a comment below. I would love to know what ends up on your table this year.
