How to Create a Beautiful Easter Table (Without Overthinking It)

Entertaining

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Mar 31

Some tables just make you stop.

Not because they’re overdone but because everything feels considered, effortless and just right.

This Easter, Amanda Cordony shows us how to create a table that looks impressive, without the pressure. Think a five-ingredient dish, simple styling tricks and a few thoughtful details that bring it all together.

The Recipe: Simple, Yet Special

With just five ingredients, this roasted snapper dish is designed to impress without the stress.

Sweet roasted tomatoes melt into buttery leeks, balanced with the brightness of capers and finished with fresh herbs and olive oil.

It’s the kind of dish that feels generous and comforting, perfect for sharing around the table.

Cook time: 60 mins | Prep time: 15 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 2 cm rounds

250 g truss cherry tomatoes

100 g salted butter, chopped

1.7 kg ruby snapper, cleaned and filleted by your fishmonger

50 g baby capers, rinsed

fine sea salt and cracked black pepper

extra virgin olive oil, to serve

chervil sprigs, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.

2. Place the leek, tomatoes and butter in a 34 cm ovenproof pan or roasting dish. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a sheet of baking paper, tucking it in around the edges, and place a metal spoon on top to weigh it down. Roast for 30 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven and carefully lift off the spoon and baking paper using a tea towel. Transfer half the roasted leek and tomatoes, removing tops and some of the skin, to a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Remove the remaining leek and tomatoes from the pan and set aside. Place the snapper fillets in the pan, coating flesh in the pan juices.

5. Place fillets skin-side down, then spoon over the creamed tomato and leek mixture. Top with the reserved leek and tomatoes and scatter over the capers.

6. Cover again with baking paper and return the spoon on top to weigh it down. Roast for a further 30 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily when tested with a fork.

7. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and finish with chervil, salt and pepper before serving.

COOKING NOTES:

Make it your own: Swap the snapper for barramundi, blue-eye trevalla or another firm white fish fillet.

Serve it with: Crusty bread, steamed potatoes or a crisp green salad.

The Setting: Thoughtful Details

For Amanda, the table is just as important as the meal.

Simple touches like handwritten place cards on eggs and napkins tied into soft bunny ears with velvet ribbon, bring a sense of playfulness to the table while still feeling refined.

It’s a reminder that creating something memorable doesn’t have to be complicated, just considered.