Savory breakfasts

Breakfast seems to be the time when even the most adventurous palate craves familiar, traditional flavors. You may welcome a tray of sushi for lunch, but the notion of eating rice and fish before noon makes most of us shudder. Growing up in Israel, breakfast would consist of eggs, bread, soft cheese or yogurt, and a very finely chopped salad of tomato, cucumber, onion and whatever other vegetables we had kicking around, all generously seasoned with lemon and oil. If we couldn’t be bothered with all the chopping, just a sliced fresh tomato would do. As a result, the notion of the “great” English breakfast was truly strange to us. We could not fathom having sausages in the morning; eating baked beans then did not make much more sense; and the mere thought of black pudding made me gag at any time of day. Added to which, the only vegetable in sight was a warm, watery tomato.

After ten years in England I have learnt to love the English breakfast more than any other meal. If the ingredients are good and well prepared, I find the combination of bacon, sausage, beans, egg and toast completely irresistible. Mushrooms are a lovely addition and I always get an extra serving of black pudding if it’s on offer.

When we started serving breakfast at Honey & Co, the reaction from our mostly British crowd to our Israeli breakfast was quite similar to our reaction when first faced with the British one. Raw vegetables and hummus for breakfast did not go down well. We have found a good solution to the problem with these savory bakes, which are traditional in the Middle East and at the same time acceptable in this country, because no one can resist a freshly baked pastry. Although they are still considered somewhat exotic, they have gained popularity with our breakfast crowd. We serve them with a small dish of sliced tomatoes, olives and pickles, and tahini or yogurt. We notice that although the pastry always gets eaten, the little dish of olives and tomatoes occasionally remains untouched, but we would not dream of serving them without it.

Only on Saturday mornings do we indulge ourselves in cooking and serving a proper Israeli breakfast feast to our die-hard Middle Eastern food aficionados: hummus, pickles, fresh salad, yogurt, cereal and jam, followed by eggs cooked however you like them. The restaurant is full to bursting from the minute we open the doors. Saturday morning breakfast may be the craziest, hardest service of the entire week, as the eggs cook fast, and overcook even faster. For the longest time it was only Sarit who was able to do this service well. She earned the title “kitchen ninja” for her amazing ability to produce plate after immaculate plate of food at incredible speed, seemingly without moving. Saturday morning service is now a rite of passage for all our chefs, and a point of pride for them if and when they pull it off (although Sarit is still the best at it).

Eggs in the nest

Makes breakfast for a loved one

A good dish for a good beginning, and a great one to win hearts. My father used to make this for us when we were kids, and I make it for Sarit as a breakfast treat when we have a day off together, or as a midnight snack after a long shift. I made it for her nephew and niece and became an instant hero, and served it to Rachael as our first Honey & Co staff lunch ever (Rachael is still with us, and hopefully will be for a long time to come). The kids still make these eggs and have named them after me—the glory! Sarit still asks me to make them for her when she’s in need of comfort (or just of a meal) and every time I do, I think of my father. Made with four main ingredients—bread, butter, eggs and salt—this can be whipped up almost any time, and has such universal appeal that it is guaranteed to win the heart of any child, and most adults.

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 slices of crusty sourdough bread

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 lovely eggs, the best you can find a sprinkling of salt and pepper

Butter the bread well on both sides. Use a small glass or a round biscuit cutter to cut the center out of each slice (make sure to keep the center).

Heat a large flat-based frying pan and add the oil. Place the bread and the cut-out discs flat in the pan and crack an egg into the central hole in each slice. Season with salt and pepper and fry for a minute or so until you can see the egg white starting to set where it meets the bread. Use a spatula carefully to lift a slice at a time and flip them (don’t forget to flip the little discs too). Cook for 1 minute on the flip-side, then transfer to a serving plate. Use the little crispy bread discs as the best egg soldiers in the world.

Maakouda

Fills an 18–20cm (7–8 inch) frying pan

Enough for breakfast for 4 hungry or 6 modest guests

A traditional dish for Tunisian Jews, this is usually made by cooking the potatoes and onions in a pot of oil, then pouring the eggs in and placing the whole thing in the oven with a tray underneath to catch the oil overflow. While the original tastes gorgeous, we could not justify making it that way. We offer this lighter (but no less gorgeous) version.

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ inch dice (about 300g)

½ tsp + ½ tsp table salt

50g unsalted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, peeled and sliced (about 200g)

8 eggs

100g/ml heavy cream

2 tsp ras el hanut spice mix

2 tbsp capers

1 small bunch of parsley, leaves picked and chopped

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in a pan containing 500g/ml of water seasoned with the first half-teaspoon of salt. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain.

Melt the butter and oil together in a good non-stick frying pan. Add the onions and fry on a medium heat until they soften entirely (this will take about 8–10 minutes). Now add the cooked diced potatoes and continue frying for a further 6–8 minutes. In the meantime whisk all the remaining ingredients together in a bowl.

Increase the heat to high and pour in the egg mixture. Allow 1 minute for the eggs to start cooking around the rim, then use a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to push the mixture from the sides into the center, all around the pan. Leave to cook for another minute, then repeat.

Now smooth the top and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, then use the lid and pan combined to flip the maakouda. Carefully slide it back into the pan to finish cooking on a low heat for 5 minutes before transferring to a plate to serve. You can eat this hot, but it also keeps well for a packed lunch or picnic and is just as delicious cold as it is hot.