Jesus walks into a restaurant and says to the maitre’d, “Table for twenty-six please.”
The maitre’d does a quick head count, and says, “I see there are only thirteen of you here. Please let me know when the rest of your party arrives, sir, and I’ll be happy to seat you.”
Jesus replies, “Oh, we’re all here. We’re just all going to sit on the same side.”
The Last Supper was kind of a going away party for Jesus. It was a bittersweet celebration. He shared food and conversation and lessons with friends. He gave his apostles, and all of us, his example of humble service to loved ones. He established the sacramental priesthood and gave us the extraordinary gift of the Eucharist. But he knew that at the end of it, he must suffer the physical agonies of his passion, and endure the betrayals of eleven of his closest friends . . . one by one.
Still, the Holy Thursday meal is something to remember with joy, especially as we then enter two days of fasting and abstinence on Good Friday (required) and Holy Saturday (recommended). In our family, for dinner on Holy Thursday we do a modified seder meal, without attempting to copy the ceremony or prayers. We are not obliged to celebrate Passover, because Jesus’ sacrifice ushered in a new covenant. I don’t even think it’s appropriate to attempt the religious ceremonies of another faith. But it’s fun (and delicious) to approximate what Jesus and his friends ate that night. It’s one of our family’s favorite meals of the whole year.
For dinner music, try Israel in Egypt by Handel or The Prince of Egypt Soundtrack.
LAST SUPPER MENU
Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Garlic
RECOMMENDED PREP SCHEDULE
What you can do the day before:
Make a triumphant red-cross-on-a-white-background banner of paper or fabric for your Crispy Rice Lamb.
Make the knish dough.
Marinate the lamb chops.
Make the salad dressing.
Day of meal prep:
I usually start meal prep at about two o’clock, to be ready to serve at five thirty or six. This is one of a handful of BIG celebratory meals we do each year. It’s a whole family endeavor, with music playing and all hands on deck. Little kids are enthusiastic if not all that useful helpers, but putting the extra time in to let them “help” now, creates shared memories . . . and also eventually creates actually-capable big kid helpers. Future you will appreciate it.
The applesauce is the big variable. Prep time is about ten minutes. If you’re making it in a crock pot, cooking takes four hours. In an instant pot, it takes fifteen minutes. If you’re buying it from the store, it takes no time at all! That’s okay too. I’ve definitely gone that route some years.
1. If you’re using a crock pot for the applesauce, be sure to begin that first, 4.5 hours before dinner. If you’re using an instant pot, it can wait, but applesauce also keeps just fine in the pot (without the warmer on, otherwise it will brown the bottom) so might as well get it done.
2. If you didn’t begin the knish dough, lamb chops, and salad dressing the day before, get those done and refrigerating.
3. Make the knish filling, assemble the knishes, egg wash them, and get them in the oven.
4. Make the Rice Krispie Lamb.
5. Make the flatbread dough, leave it to rest. Pre-heat the skillet you’ll use for the flatbread and lamb chops on low.
6. Prepare all the salad ingredients, but wait to assemble it.
7. Grill the flatbreads. Put them in a tea-towel-lined basket to stay warm. I like to put the basket into the turned-off, still-warm oven after the knishes are done.
8. Grill the lamb chops, and finish in the oven with the knishes if desired.
9. Finishing touches: smash the applesauce, assemble the salad, plate it all, and call in the troops.
10. Enjoy!
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