Italian Easter Recipes: Campania-style Fried Eggs with Cheese.

Easter is one of the most important holidays in the Christian religion and is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ, three days after he had been crucified. One important detail about this holiday, is that the date changes from year to year.

As was decided at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AC, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring and can therefore vary from March 22nd to April 25th. The week prior to Easter, beginning with Palm Sunday, is referred to as Holy Week and is a period of many symbolical celebrations, including the preparation of long tables in churches that represent the table there Jesus held his last supper with his twelve disciples.

There is also the procession of Good Friday, during which people try to recreate the Christ’s long walk towards the cross.

  

The importance of Easter in Italian culture is reflected in the country’s food traditions. During Easter lunch in Italy, lamb and eggs are always served. They appear either as part of the meal itself, or as sweets in the shape of these symbols of life and rebirth (in the case of eggs) and of sacrifice of the son of God for humanity (in the case of the lamb.)

INGREDIENTS:

Per 4 servings

6 eggs
bechamel
1 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
nutmeg
oil
1 egg
all-purpose flour
breadcrumbs
salt
pepper

PREPARATION:   

• Shell the hard-boiled eggs, cut them in half lengthwise and remove the yolks to leave the whites empty.
• Mash the yolks with a fork and work them into the béchamel or Ricotta, the grated Parmesan, salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg.
• Spread the mixture inside the half egg-whites cut previously, giving the mixture a rounded shape to simulate a whole egg.
• Coat these eggs in flour, immerse them in the beaten egg, and dip gently in the bread crumbs, taking care, using the hands, to preserve the shape.
• Fry in abundant boiling oil, a few at a time, until golden.
• Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot.