A regional menu for Easter

A regional menu for Easter

The first signs of spring are slowly appearing and with them come thoughts of the upcoming Easter celebrations. The approaching Palm Sunday heralds the beginning of Holy Week and the highest festival of Christianity is just around the corner. Whether it has a religious background, has grown regionally or is a family tradition - Easter is associated with traditions in many families.

Thinking about introducing a new culinary tradition for this year's festival, I went in search of Easter dishes and naturally came across the Easter lamb. According to my internet research, the traditional Easter lamb roast dates back to pre-Christian times. Back then, people sacrificed lambs to their gods on the first full moon after the beginning of spring. This pagan tradition evolved into Christianity and roast lamb became the first meal after the long period of fasting. The young animal symbolizes new life.

As sustainability and regionality are also important to me, my search for a feasible lamb recipe led me to Gabi Gatscher in her small Spezerey in Gries. In the rustic ambience, the experienced chef and initiator of the Wipptaler Genussspechte explained to me a traditional dish with a regional main ingredient: a farmer's roast of local mountain lamb.

List of ingredients:
- Lamb (preferably leg) | available from Clemens Mair, Grotterhof in Fulpmes
- Approx. 20 dag potatoes, carrots and celery (approx. 10 dag per person)
- Mustard (possibly Dijon mustard), thyme, garlic, salt and pepper
- 1 liter white wine or prosecco (optional)

Rub the lamb generously with spices. Peel the potatoes, carrots and celery, then cut into approx. 1 cm cubes or long boats. Fry the lamb well in the pan (not too hot, so that the garlic does not burn and taste bitter). Then add the vegetables, fry a little and then add the soup seasoning and white wine. Place in a roasting tin and slowly braise in the oven at approx. 200 degrees for 2.5 to 3 hours. The meat should be on top of the vegetables and the vegetables should cook in their juices.

A special tip from Gabi: Leftover lamb is particularly suitable for Gröstl, but then refine it with thyme and garlic ?

Some of these ingredients are available directly from the Genussspechten or from the Genussladele:

• Lamb: Clemens Mair from Grotterhof is looking forward to your orders for Easter until Friday, March 15, 2024 at 0699/18114143 (freshly packed in 3 kg or 5 kg packages);
• Potatoes and various spices: in the Genussladele in Matrei am Brenner (Raiffeisenplatz next to the Aste bakery)
• White wine and Prosecco: in the Vinothek Nagele in Steinach am Brenner (right next to the train station)

Order in good time and good luck!

Gabi Gatscher is the chairwoman of an association full of Wipptal valley idealists. They have set themselves the goal of increasing added value in the Wipptal and living regionality through cooperation and networking between producers and restaurateurs in the region. The association was founded in 2016 with 22 members. Today, Gabi is proud to have commissioned the 6th edition of the Wipptaler Genussspechte brochure with 35 members.

The creativity and diversity of the members offers us Wipptal Valley residents a very special range of handmade, honest and sustainable products. Since December 2022, the wide range of products has been available in the Genussladele in Matrei am Brenner. There you will find products for everyday use, small souvenirs for guests to the region or individually compiled gift baskets for special occasions.