'Twas a nice and leisurely Easter Sunday at Casa Scampwalker. After Sunday services, Mrs. S and I whipped up a couple of brandy milk punches. It's an old family tradition of mine, and one I can remember my parents savoring many years ago when I was my son's age.
The ingredients sound a bit odd, but they almost taste like a melted milkshake. A decidedly grown-up one.
The centerpiece of our Easter meal was a ham that I prepared from scratch. I bought a 14-pound fresh ham from
Bichelmeyer Meats, and, using the recipe in
Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie, brined it in a cooler for about six days. It wasn't a fancy brine -- just kosher salt, brown sugar, and some pink salt. I smoked it up on Friday (about 7 hours total, until the internal temp hit 155 degrees). It was delicious! I always thought a ham required a lot more knowledge, skill, and equipment than the average home cook could muster, but I can gladly report that we'll be doing this again -- just as soon as we eat the other 13 pounds of this one.
The ham was accompanied by a terrific blue cheese and chipotle scalloped potato recipe taken from
Homesick Texan, and some gently steamed asparagus drizzled with some lemon juice. It was all paired with a
2009 Becker Prairie Rotie, a really tasty Rhone-style blend that complemented the flavors of the meal. And a fresh strawberry pie for dessert.
After a prodigious nap on the couch, we engaged in another Scampwalker ritual:
cascarones. A south Texas and Mexican custom, a cascarone is a dyed eggshell filled with confetti. A spirited battle at a nearby park ensued, and the Scampwalker tradition of "It Ain't Easter Until Someone Cries or Bleeds" was fulfilled.
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