Despite the fact that Easter Monday falls this year on 1 April, we have included traditional Easter stuffing (nádivka) recipe for March. And why? Simply because we cannot wait any longer! Moreover, according to a folk saying, something green should be on the table already on Green Thursday – why not a herb-filled stuffing?
Generally, Easter is associated with a number of traditional meals: Kaiserschmarn (trhance) on Ugly Wednesday (the food was supposed to look "ugly" and not as planned), something green for Green Thursday (using ingredients such as parsley, spinach and young nettles), on Great Friday, fasting day, people ate fish or thick soups and on White Saturday Easter stuffing (nádivka) and sweet bun (mazanec) were baked. On Easter Sunday, which is the culmination of Easter celebration, there were not only various pastry, buns, judases (jidáše) or meal made of peas, pučálky, but also meat broth and roasted meat, and, last but not least, sweet Easter lamb (beránek) as dessert, replacing a real lamb that was for many families unaffordable. Easter Monday menu consisted mainly of egg dishes, egg symbolizing rebirth. And another Easter stuffing was baked.
There are many regional names as well a large variety of recipes for Easter stuffing, though all of them agree in using spring herbs (fresh nettles, parsley, chives, spinach or glecchoma). Traditionally, the stuffing was made with three types of meat – pork, mutton, rabbit, lamb, goat or veal (meat from veal head gave rise to another name of the meal – little head (hlavička)). Sometimes even offal was added, though there are also meatless recipes, e.g. with mushroom. The most traditional stuffing is the one prepared with smoked meat and fresh herbs, as you can try using our recipe.
Procedure
Cook the smoked meat in water and let it cool down. Then cut it in cubes.
Dice the rolls or baguette and put them in a larger bowl. Whisk egg yolks in the milk, season with salt and pepper and add a bit of nutmeg. Pour over the dices of rolls (or baguette) and let soak. Add pieces of meat. Chop the herbs, add in the bowl and mix together. Finally, add egg whites foam.
Lard the casserole, sprinkle with bread crumbs and pour in the mixture. Bake in preheated oven at 200°C for about 35‑40 minutes until golden brown.