RECIPES: How to cook an Easter Feast fit for a king

Whatever your Easter tradition, chances are it will involve food - and lots of it.

But pleasing the crowd isn't always as simple as plying them with hot cross buns and chocolate goodies (although this is highly encouraged, as well).

If you really want to be the Bank Holiday hostess with the mostess, up the ante by putting on a fancy sit-down spread that will put you at the top of the pecking order.

We're talking fine-dining-standard starter, a striking lamb main with heaped sides of seasonal veggies, and a decadent dessert.

Don't forget the little details... Ensure guests are welcomed and kept topped up with an array of fab drinks, and why not make a little effort with the table decor too? Just a few simple touches - some spring flowers or painted eggs as a centrepiece, can really add to the sense of occasion.

Feeling inspired? Now all you need are some recipes.

Here are some that Mike Bates, executive head chef of The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, whipped up earlier...

GOAT'S CHEESE MOUSSE WITH WARM APPLE AND BEETROOT SALAD

(Serves 6 as a starter)

For the mousse:

200g Pant-ys-Gawn goats' cheese (available in Waitrose; but any goat's cheese will do)

250g double cream

1 leaf of gelatine

Salt and pepper

For the salad:

1 green apple

Baby heirloom beetroots

Pinch of salt and sugar

Splash of wine vinegar

Mixed leaves to serve

For the dressing:

1 shallot, finely chopped

50g sherry vinegar

100g honey

100g olive oil

50g sesame oil

Soften the goats' cheese by bringing up to room temperature and soak the gelatine leaf in very cold water for 10 minutes.

Whip 200g of the double cream to soft peaks. Place the other 50g of cream and the drained gelatine in a small pan. Heat gently until the gelatine dissolves, and then mix with the cheese to form a paste. Fold this into the whipped cream, season to taste and refrigerate until set.

Serve the mousse with a warm apple and beetroot salad.

Ideally, use baby heirloom beetroot and cook each colour separately in their skins in water, with a pinch each of salt and sugar and a splash of wine vinegar. When ready, carefully remove the skins.

Prepare your dressing, by combining all the ingredients, and then soak the beetroot in the dressing. Meanwhile, cut your green apple into matchsticks.

Arrange the apple pieces, beetroot and green leaves on individual plates, with a scoop of cheese mousse in the centre.

SALT-BAKED CRUSTED WELSH LAMB

(Serves 6)

1 leg of Welsh lamb, tunnel boned (ask the butcher to do this for you). Choose a leg of spring lamb no more than 2.5kg in weight

For the salt crust (makes enough to cover 2 legs of lamb):

1kg plain flour

600g water

400g smoked sea salt

4 sprigs of thyme

10 twists of a black pepper mill

4 sprigs of rosemary

For the wild garlic gremolata:

1 lemon zest

1 cup of picked flat parsley

1 cup of wild garlic leaves (available from Ocado as well as growing wild)

1tsp of salt

1/4 cup of olive oil

First, make your dough. Combine all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, add water slowly to form a smooth dough, and then cover with cling film and refrigerate until needed.

When ready to make the gremolata, place all the ingredients, except the olive oil, into a food processor and blend. Slowly add the olive oil until a smooth consistency is achieved, reserve until needed.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a size that will cover the whole leg of lamb.

Rub the leg of lamb with the wild garlic gremolata, including the cavity. Then place the rolled out dough over the lamb, ensuring it is totally covered.

Place onto a baking/roasting tray and put into a preheated oven at 180C, and cook for one hour and 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Crack open and remove the crust. Carve the lamb and enjoy.

ORANGE SET CREAM WITH OLIVE OIL TUILE BISCUIT

(Serves 6)

For the orange set cream:

1L orange juice, reduced to 150ml

2 lemons, juiced

1 leaf gelatine

6 eggs

150ml cream

Orange oil

170g sugar

For the tuile biscuit:

100g icing sugar

100g egg white

100g extra virgin olive oil

75g flour

25g cocoa powder

Grue de Cacao (or any cacao nibs)

To serve:

Frozen yoghurt

Micro coriander, dehydrated sugared orange segments, biscuit crumbs to garnish (optional)

To make the orange set cream, add the orange juice reduction to the eggs, lemon juice (reserving a little), cream and sugar, in a metal or Pyrex bowl. Whisk over a pan of hot water to achieve a thick consistency similar to lemon curd. Remove from heat.

Separately, soak the gelatine in very cold water, then whisk into the orange cream mix, off the heat.

Add some orange oil and lemon juice to taste, and then pass through a fine sieve into a greased container or a pre-baked pastry case. Set overnight in the fridge.

To make the olive oil tuile biscuits, beat the egg white, flour, cocoa and icing sugar to form a smooth paste, then mix in the olive oil.

Spread onto silicone paper to about 1mm thick. Sprinkle on the Grue de Cacao, then bake at 170C for four minutes.

While still warm, use a pastry cutter to cut out rounds.

When ready to serve, arrange servings of the orange set cream onto individual plates, placing a tuile biscuit next to each, and a scoop of frozen yoghurt of your choice.

To jazz up the plate even more, crumble some biscuit crumbs on top and decorate with dehydrated, sugared orange segments and micro coriander.

* Recipes by Mike Bates, Executive Head Chef of Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales (celtic-manor.com)