French Easter Traditions in the South of France
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France, and especially the South of France, has a strong Catholic heritage and Easter weekend is not only a three but a four day public holiday. With the temperatures between the high 60s and mid 70s in April on the French Riviera, you can imagine how busy the Promenade des Anglais would be. Filled with chic Niçois sporting their oversized designer sunglasses, sauntering along the seaside with their leather jackets draped over their arms and their faces tilted towards the sun.
All my memories of French Easter Traditions were created at Le Chef's Grandmother's home and I am happy to share her Easter menu with you.
The most important meal of the weekend is undoubtedly Easter Sunday Lunch. Families get together to share wine, stories and a table of fresh spring foods. Le Chef and I spent many Easters in Toulon around Mamie's table. I hold such fond memories of these times and can remember each delicious menu item that made the memories so special.
A sample Menu from lunch at Mamie Pierrette Giannini's:
Apéro:
Orange wine served with Fougasse (a flat French bread made with olive oil and flavored with herbs such as rosemary…trop bon!) and perhaps a few slices of quiche or tourte aux blettes (a tart made with swiss chard and pine nuts) still warm from the oven. Olive tapenade and fresh baked baguettes are my favorite.
If we were really lucky - Mamie will have made Zucchini fritters (beignets de courgettes).
Main Course:
Le Gigot d'agneau, leg of lamb, roasted in the oven with little baby potatoes flavored with garlic, rosemary and thyme. Mamie's trick for cooking the Gigot and still have time to go to church, is to cook « le gigot de 7 heures » Literally, cooked for 7 hours at a lower temperature, it can cook overnight.
Young spring asparagus, slightly crunchy, served with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette or else a Sabayon. Spring Asparagus with a Champagne Vinaigrette
Salade à l'ail. Crunchy leaves of fresh spring greens, tossed in an olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette with chopped garlic.
Cheese course:
Fromage de Chevre frais au miel, (fresh goat cheese with honey) and fresh herbed cheese.
You'll love my post on how to create a French Cheese Board for tips on creating an expert cheese board at home.
Dessert
Brioche a l'écorce d'orange et fleur d'oranger (A beautiful brioche bread shaped like a wreath and flavored with orange blossom and orange zest).
Oeuf de Pâques avec fritures (small eggs filled with hazelnut cream and pralines inside of a large Chocolate egg, made by the local patisserie). ** For those living in the USA and Canada, Ladurée makes a great selection of Easter Pastries that can be delivered to your door in time for Easter.
Un bon café followed by a long walk in the sun.
For Recipe Inspiration, you will enjoy my posts on 44 Easter Recipes, French Spring Recipes and French Riviera Spring Menu .
I will be following most of these traditions with my family this Easter Sunday in Mclean, Virginia. While Mamie is no longer with us, it is the traditions and memories that keep her memory alive.
What will you be doing to celebrate this Easter, mes amis?
Please share with me how you are going to make this holiday feel special.
Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
FAQ
Easter lunch often begins with a relaxed apéro, featuring regional specialties like fougasse (olive oil bread with herbs), slices of quiche, or tourte aux blettes-a sweet-savory tart made with Swiss chard and pine nuts. In Provençal homes, you might also find beignets de courgettes (zucchini fritters), served warm and crispy alongside a glass of orange wine.
Lamb, especially gigot d'agneau (leg of lamb), is the traditional Easter main dish, symbolizing renewal and spring. A beloved method is "le gigot de 7 heures", where the lamb is slow-cooked for hours at a low temperature until incredibly tender. It's typically paired with baby potatoes roasted in garlic, rosemary, and thyme-simple, rustic, and deeply flavorful.
Spring produce plays a big role, especially young asparagus, served slightly crisp. It's often dressed with a light Champagne citrus vinaigrette or a rich, airy sabayon sauce. These bright, fresh flavors balance the richness of the lamb and highlight the seasonality that defines southern French cuisine.
ABOUT Anina Belle Giannini
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 5) and I run a marketing firm and a non-profit in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this Washington Post Article. We were featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment below.
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Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
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