Pan con tomate with fried eggs and dukkah
I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time in Spain and the famous pan con tomate has always been my go-to tapas order. The key to making your own is to invest in the best-quality tomatoes you can get - as the better they are, the better this dish will taste. The addition of dukkah, a Middle Eastern spice mix, gives this a Lebanese touch, and the fried egg makes it the perfect balanced brunch recipe.
SERVES 2
- 2 large good-quality tomatoes
- 1 large garlic clove
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- 2 large pieces of ciabatta
- 2 eggs
- chopped chives, to garnish
- dukkah, to garnish
- Finely grate the tomatoes and Microplane (or crush) the garlic into a bowl. Drizzle with some olive oil, season with salt and mix together. Leave to one side to rest.
- Toast the ciabatta and place on two serving plates.
- Fry the eggs until they're crispy at the edges but retain a runny yolk, seasoning with black pepper as they cook.
- Top each piece of bread with half of the tomato mix and a fried egg. Garnish with the chives, the dukkah and more seasoning to taste.
Chorizo, labneh and greens
This chorizo dish is perfect for when you are craving big, punchy flavour. It's salty, spicy and deeply satisfying.
SERVES 4
- 4 good-quality chorizo sausages, halved lengthways
- 300g labneh or salted thick Greek yogurt
- juice of 1 lemon, plus zest to garnish
- pinch of salt
- 30g butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 800g spring greens, hard ends removed
- chopped toasted hazelnuts
- Preheat your oven to 200C/ 180C/gas 6. Put the chorizo on a baking tray and cook in the oven for around 20 minutes or until crispy and sizzling. Remove and set aside.
- While the chorizo cooks, mix together the labneh or yogurt, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl and leave to one side.
- Put a frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter. Once melted and bubbling, add the garlic. Stir continuously and, once fragrant, add the greens. Keep stirring and cook for around 3 minutes or until the greens are wilted but still al dente and vibrant in colour. Remove from the heat.
- Spread the labneh mix over your serving plate. Top with the greens, then the hot chorizo. Toss over the hazelnuts and lemon zest and serve.
Turkish eggs with chilli yogurt
I love serving the chorizo, labneh and greens recipe alongside some easy to make, but irresistibly creamy, Turkish eggs.
SERVES 4
- 350g Greek yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- juice of 1 lemon
- pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- crunchy chilli oil
- chopped chives
- pul biber flakes (aleppo chilli flakes)
- Place a pan of salted water over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil.
- While the water heats, put the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and mix together.
- Poach the eggs in the boiling water for 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess water.
- Spread the garlic yogurt over a serving plate and top with the eggs. Drizzle over the chilli oil and top with chives and pul biber flakes.
Golden syrup fried crumpet and poached rhubarb
Last summer I had the joy of attending a supper club where I was introduced to the idea of crumpets being the base for a pudding. It led to a summer obsession of trying out different flavours and ingredients - until I hit on this perfect combination.
SERVES 6
- 400g rhubarb
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- juice of 1 orange
- 200ml double cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g butter
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
- 6 crumpets, toasted
- lemon curd
- chopped toasted hazelnuts, to garnish
- Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Chop the rhubarb into 2.5cm-long chunks and arrange on the lined baking tray. Pour over the maple syrup and orange juice, and mix together. Roast for 20 minutes or until the rhubarb is super-soft but still holding its shape. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Whip the cream and vanilla extract in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Add the butter and golden syrup to a frying pan and melt together over a medium heat. Once melted and bubbling, add the crumpets and fry for a minute each side until caramelised and all the syrup is absorbed.
- Place the crumpets on individual serving plates. Top each with some vanilla cream, a tablespoon of lemon curd and one-sixth of the soft rhubarb, and garnish with chopped hazelnuts.
Bacon, egg and mango chutney naans
One of my favourite restaurants is famous for this brunch dish, so I had to include my at-home version. This is an Indian-inspired bacon and egg sandwich, perfect for anyone craving a carby, salty and sweet hit the morning after a big night out.
SERVES 4
- 12 rashers smoked streaky bacon
- vegetable oil for frying
- 4 eggs
- 4 mini naan breads
- 100g Greek yogurt
- 4 tbsp mango chutney
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced, to garnish
- handful of coriander, roughly chopped, to garnish
- Lie the bacon on a baking tray and place under the grill. Cook until crispy, flipping halfway through.
- Place a frying pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry for around 2 minutes or until crispy around the edges but with the yolks still runny.
- Toast the naans and place on individual plates.
- Spoon a quarter of the yogurt and a tablespoon of mango chutney on to one half of each naan. Top each with three rashers of bacon and a fried egg. Garnish with chilli slices and coriander. Fold over and tuck in!
Dutch baby with smoked mackerel and crème fraÎche
I firmly believe Yorkshire puddings should be served with every meal, and Dutch babies (fluffy baked pancakes very like Yorkies) are the perfect take for brunch.
SERVES 4
- 6 eggs
- 250ml milk
- 200g plain flour
- 60g melted butter
- couple of pinches of salt
- 150ml crème fraîche
- juice of 2 lemons
- 240g smoked mackerel, broken into flakes
- black pepper, to season
- 30g dill, roughly chopped, to garnish
- Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C/gas 7 and put in two small pie dishes to heat.
- Put the eggs, milk, flour, half the melted butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Use an electric whisk to combine till you have a smooth batter. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile put the crème fraîche, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Beat together then set aside. < li >Remove the hot dishes from the oven and divide the remaining butter between them. Add the batter, return to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven. < li >Fill each Dutch baby with the lemon crème fraîche and mackerel. Season with black pepper and garnish with the chopped dill. Serve right away, one Dutch baby between two people.
Cheesy sausage and greens toastie
In my opinion, a sausage sandwich will always trump a bacon one, so this is a must-have brunch recipe for me. Juicy, caramelised sausagemeat paired with creamy mozzarella, salsa verde for acidity and kale for a nutrient boost, all sandwiched between toasted sourdough - it really doesn't get any more comforting.
SERVES 4
- 6 pork sausages, de-skinned
- olive oil for frying
- 100g kale, roughly chopped
- salted butter
- 8 pieces sourdough < li >salsa verde (see recipe below) < li >a little aioli < li >2 balls mozzarella , thinly sliced
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< li >For the salsa verde , finely chop the parsley , basil , capers and anchovy fillets and place in a lidded jar . Add the garlic , Dijon mustard , lemon juice , olive oil and seasoning . Whisk together till emulsified and season further to taste . Store in the fridge for up to 3 days until ready to use .
< li >Place a frying pan over medium heat . Add sausages and break up meat into small pieces using spoon . Dry fry till crispy and golden brown . Once cooked , transfer to plate and set aside .
< li >Place pan back on heat , drizzle with little oil , add kale and cook until wilted . Remove from heat .
< li >Butter both sides of sourdough pieces . Top one piece of buttered sourdough with quarter sausage meat , kale , some salsa verde , aioli and mozzarella slices . Sandwich another slice bread on top .
< li >Place frying pan back on heat and add one toastie . Fry for 2-3 minutes each side , pushing down spatula throughout help keep toastie together .
< li >Remove from pan repeat three sandwiches until mountain pure deliciousness .
Sumac roasted strawberries and whipped mascarpone French toast
Many of us have nostalgic memories of the way we ate French toast as kids. For me, it was in summer with chopped strawberries, a drizzle of cream and lashings of maple syrup. Whilst that still sounds absolutely delicious, I wanted to make a more grown-up version with the addition of vanilla, sumac and mascarpone.
SERVES 4
- 250g mascarpone < li >100ml double cream < li >120g icing sugar < li >zest and juice of 1 lemon < li >2 tsp vanilla extract < li >400g strawberries , hulled and halved < li >1 tbsp sumac < li >pinch of salt < li >100ml milk < li >4 eggs < li >1 tbsp ground cinnamon < li >50g butter < li >4 thick slices of brioche bread
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< li >Start by preheating your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
< li >Place the mascarpone , double cream , half the icing sugar , the lemon zest and 1 tsp of the vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk till lightly whipped . Store in the fridge until ready to use .
< li >Now place the strawberries , sumac , remaining vanilla extract , remaining icing sugar , lemon juice and a pinch of salt on a lined baking tray and mix together . Roast for 20 minutes , mixing halfway through , until soft and sticky . Leave to cool to room temperature .
< li >Next , whisk together the milk , eggs and cinnamon in a shallow bowl . Then set a frying pan over medium heat and add half the butter . Let it start to bubble and melt . Next dip two of the brioche slices into the egg mix for around 30 seconds to let it soak up some of the liquid . Place in the hot frying pan and fry for 2 minutes each side until golden brown and caramelised .
< li >Remove from the heat and repeat with the remaining brioche . Split between four serving plates and top with a dollop of whipped mascarpone . Then spoon over the roasted sumac strawberries and their juices and serve .