BREAKFAST & BRUNCH
I love weekend breakfasts and brunches, and when I have time I’ll pull out all the stops. There’s something almost sublime about drifting around the kitchen at a leisurely pace, with the day and its many culinary possibilities and expectations still to look forward to. It’s also my time to bake bread.
For those who live in the southern Mediterranean, breakfast usually comprises of an incredibly strong double espresso, possibly a very sweet pastry and quite often a couple of cigarettes – not really the breakfast of champions but charmingly endearing and a ritual I fully embrace when on my travels there! My breakfast and brunch recipes feature plenty of eggs and lots of fresh punchy flavours to kick start the day – chillies, coriander-flavoured green harissa, spices such as cumin and coriander seeds, all set alongside sweet, comforting and indulgent dishes like my Crispy Fried Aubergines with Honey or my Pan-fried Fruit Bread with Sticky Stoned Fruits and Cinnamon Cream.
Simple basic breads have been around for tens of thousands of years and over time have been refined through the milling of wheat and the development of fermenting. The Arabs were far ahead of their time both in terms of processing and cooking and also in their development of different wheats to produce tastier, lighter breads.
I have included my own favourite Moorish-inspired bread recipes here to kick start your morning and to take you on through the day.
Sicilian Brioche
What is it that makes this brioche Sicilian? Well, it’s eaten in Sicily at all times and any time – breakfast, lunch and dinner or in between, filled with granita, gelato or whipped cream and is as ubiquitous as an espresso or a bowl of pasta. The Sicilian version is often lightly spiced with cinnamon and fragranced with citrus zests and orange blossom honey. And of course the Sicilian brioche has the tuppo (or peak) adorning the top of the brioche that must be eaten before even thinking about biting into the delicious base.
I recommend that you do as the locals do and stuff them with ice cream, though the rather more restrained addition of a salty soft cheese is also a good choice.
Makes 9
180ml full-cream milk
545g strong white flour, sifted
10g instant dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
75g unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon runny honey (preferably orange blossom)
grated zest of ½ orange
grated zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
1 free-range egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for the egg wash
Warm the milk until lukewarm. Put the flour into a free-standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the yeast, salt, sugar and cinnamon, then add the beaten eggs, the butter, honey and orange and lemon zests. Mix on the low setting until just combined.
With the mixer still on low speed, gradually add the lukewarm milk. When the ingredients have come together to form a dough, increase the mixer speed to the next setting and beat/knead for about 5 minutes – the dough will start off slightly sticky but do not add more flour to it. When the dough is soft and elastic, transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave to rise in a warm draught-free place (such as the oven with the light on) for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Pull off 9 portions of dough weighing 90g each and shape into balls. Place evenly spaced on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Divide the rest of the dough into 9 portions, each weighing 15g, and shape into balls to make the tuppo. Use your thumb to press a deep indentation in each large ball and nestle the tuppo in the indentation.
Return to a warm draught-free place to rise for 2–2½ hours or until the brioches are doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4.
Brush each brioche with the egg wash. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes or until the brioche are golden brown.
Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving. My Pomegranate Ripple Ice Cream is great with the brioches or you could try the Almond Granita.
Sicilian Brioche
Cádiz Molletes
These lovely soft bread rolls are specific to southern Spain. I’ve tried them in Cádiz where the locals insist they originated, though others say they were created in the Andalucían town of Antequera, where the locals swear blind it’s theirs that are original. I love the regional bickering over something as seemingly simple as a bread roll, perfectly highlighting the importance of food to Andalucían culture.
The rolls are eaten for breakfast or afternoon tea, split, drizzled with olive oil and salt and sometimes either rubbed with ripe summer tomatoes or stuffed with jamón.
Makes 8
Starter
100g strong white flour
15g fresh yeast
50ml lukewarm water
Dough
15g fresh yeast
320ml lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
50ml extra virgin olive oil
500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
15g fine salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Make the starter the day before you want to bake the bread. Put the flour on a work surface and make a well in the centre. Dissolve the yeast in the water, then mix into the flour to form a soft, smooth, elastic dough. Shape into a ball and transfer to a bowl. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for 12 hours to ferment.
The next day, make the dough. Whisk the yeast into the warm water along with the sugar and olive oil. Leave for 10 minutes to activate and become foamy.
Pour the yeast mix into the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add half the flour and the salt and mix together, then add the starter. The mix will be quite wet at this stage. Continue to mix, adding the rest of the flour, then mix/knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, you can make and knead the dough by hand.)
Transfer the dough to a floured bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for about 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out on to a floured surface. Knock back and knead for 3 minutes, then divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place, well spaced, on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Flatten the balls slightly. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove again for about 30 minutes or until they’ve increased by about a third in size.
Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/Gas Mark 9.
Dust the rolls with flour and cinnamon, then bake for about 20 minutes or until they are a pale golden brown (molletes are traditionally pale) and they sound hollow when the base is tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
Cádiz Molletes
Pan-fried Fruit Bread
with Sticky Stone Fruits and Cinnamon Whipped Cream
This wonderful dish makes for a very indulgent weekend brunch or a sumptuous dessert over the summer months when stone fruits are in season. I love the subtle flavours of the aromatic spice and the fragrant orange zest coming through the sticky caramelised fruit juices whilst the dollop of cinnamon cream on top brings everything together as it melts into the fruits and the warm fried bread.
Choose firmer stone fruits, although not underripe, as they will cook and caramelise well while holding their shape.
Serves 4
4 apricots, cut in half and stone removed
4 firm plums, cut in half and stone removed
2 nectarines or firm peaches, cut in half and stone removed
175g golden caster sugar
2 tablespoons runny honey
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
4 sprigs of thyme
grated zest of ½ orange
4 thick slices of fruit bread, such as panettone
Cinnamon cream
250ml double cream
40g icing sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4.
Toss the fruits in a bowl with the caster sugar, honey, half the butter, the spices, thyme and orange zest. Transfer everything to a baking tray, spreading it out into a single layer. Place in the oven and cook for 35–45 minutes or until the fruits have nicely softened and the juices and sugar have become caramelised and sticky. The cooking time will be dependent on the water content and ripeness of the fruits.
While the fruits are in the oven, whip the double cream in a bowl until firm peaks have formed. Quickly whisk in the sugar and cinnamon. Reserve in the fridge.
Remove the fruits from the oven to cool a little while you fry the fruit bread. Do this in 2 batches. Melt half the remaining butter in a large sauté pan until it starts to foam. Add 2 of the bread slices and fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain well on kitchen paper. Repeat with the other 2 slices and remaining butter.
To serve put a slice of fruit bread on each plate and spoon the fruits on top. Drizzle the sticky caramelised juices over the fruits and add a good dollop of cold cinnamon cream.
Pan-fried Fruit Bread
Portuguese Pão Alentejo
Sourdough
The eponymous bread of the southern Portuguese region of Alentejo – the famous ‘bread basket’ of Portugal – is much more than a regional bake, it’s a symbol of the food culture of the region itself, the country and the whole Iberian peninsula.
An area heavily influenced by the Moorish culture during the occupation, Alentejo is home to one of the first recorded Arab recipes, tharid, a bread moistened with stock and olive oil, and then served with meat or vegetables – a preparation still popular today, though now rather lighter and more refined than the Moorish original.
Makes 2 loaves
Starter
200g strong white flour
50g dark rye flour
5g fresh yeast
5g fine salt
175ml lukewarm water
Dough
400g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
100g semolina flour
100g rye flour
15g fine salt
10g caster sugar
5g fresh yeast
400ml lukewarm water
The day before you want to bake the bread, make the starter. Mix together the flours in a bowl and rub in the yeast to make a crumb-like consistency. Add the salt and water and mix well. Knead for 10 minutes or so or until the dough is elastic. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave in the fridge overnight to ferment.
Scoop the starter into a clean mixing bowl and add all the ingredients for the bread dough. Mix well, then knead the dough until it is soft, smooth and elastic – not sticky. Form the dough into a ball and place in a clean, lightly floured bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.
Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knock back, then shape into a ball again. Place back in the bowl, cover and leave to rest for another hour.
Repeat the knocking back but leave the dough to rest for only 30 minutes. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball.
Flour 2 round wicker proving baskets (or use 2 bowls lined with floured tea towels). Place a ball of dough in each one, seam side down, and cover with a tea towel. Leave in a warm place to prove for 1¼ hours or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/Gas Mark 9. Put a baking tray into the oven to heat up.
Transfer the loaves to a pizza peel or an unrimmed baking sheet. Slash the top of each loaf with a sharp knife. Splash or spray some water into the oven, then slide the loaves on to the hot baking tray and bake for 7 minutes. Turn the oven down to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas Mark 7 and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the loaves are a dark brown and sound hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack.
This bread is glorious drizzled with good fresh/green extra virgin olive oil and sea salt.
Portuguese Pão Alentejo
Pane Cuzanto
In times long past, the seasoned bread of Sicily, Pane Cuzanto, was colloquially known as ‘the bread of misery’. Traditionally made from a large freshly baked rustic focaccia-type loaf, the top was cut off and then filled with olive oil, seasoning and spices and anything else that was to hand, the lid then put back on and eaten.
Nowadays it’s rather more refined, with the addition of fish, grilled vegetables, cheese, olives and capers, and is definitely no longer a bread of misery but rather one that gives great happiness.
You can either buy a quality focaccia loaf (I suggest one about 800g) or, if the baking spirit moves you, make your own with my simple recipe below.
Serves 5–6
Focaccia (or use 800g shop-bought loaf)
500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
5g dried yeast granules
10g fine salt
325ml warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for coating
extra virgin olive oil and sprigs of rosemary, to finish
Filling
1 aubergine, finely sliced lengthways
extra virgin olive oil
150g burrata
12 salted anchovies, chopped
a handful of green Sicilian olives, pitted and roughly chopped
200g ripe tomatoes in season, thinly sliced
a handful of torn basil leaves
100g Tomato, Almond and Chilli Pesto
sea salt and black pepper
If you are making the focaccia, put the flour, yeast, salt and water into the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed until everything is fully combined to make a dough, then add the oil and knead with the machine for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and silky. (Alternatively, you can make the dough by hand.) Shape the dough into a ball and coat with a little extra oil. Leave to rise in a clean bowl, covered with clingfilm, until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Tip the dough on to a floured work surface and press into a rough rectangle. Place in a lightly oiled shallow baking tray, measuring about 26 x 36cm. Press the dough in with your fingers, right into the corners. Now leave to rise again, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the dough looks puffed up and airy.
While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/Gas Mark 9. Now use your fingertips to poke deep holes across the whole surface of the dough, almost to the bottom.
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil generously (but not swimmingly) over the top and sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary sprigs. Bake for about 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6 and bake for a further 10 minutes. The focaccia should be light and golden brown. Cool completely before turning out.
For the Pane Cuzanto, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4. Heat a ridged grill pan.
Season the aubergine slices and drizzle with olive oil, then cook on the hot grill pan until charred on both sides and softened. Set the aubergine aside.
Slice the top off the focaccia, cutting it roughly in half. Drizzle both cut surfaces with olive oil and seasoning, then set the top aside. Build up the filling on the cut surface of the bottom part of the loaf. Start with the burrata – spread it all over – followed by the anchovies and then the olives. Toss the tomatoes gently with the basil, pesto and seasoning plus a little more oil, then make a layer of this on top. Finish with the grilled aubergines. Put the top of the focaccia in place and press down.
Place the stuffed focaccia on a baking tray and warm in the oven for 7 minutes. Cut the ‘sandwich’ through into 5 or 6 pieces and serve.
Pane Cuzanto
Chickpea and Spelt Flatbreads
Most countries have a version of a flatbread, a simple bread of convenience with a relatively short proving time. The original versions were just a mix of milled grains and water cooked over an open fire.
This version is something I’ve been tweaking for years, which produces a lovely bread of texture, full of aromatic spicing. The chickpea flour gives a fresh, almost grassy flavour and the spelt flour helps make the bread pleasingly robust. Great either cooked over a barbecue or on an oiled tray under an overhead grill.
Makes 4–6
1 x 7g sachet dried yeast granules
100ml lukewarm water
2 teaspoons runny honey
250g spelt flour, plus extra for dusting
50g chickpea flour (gram flour)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for cooking
1 tablespoon plain yoghurt
sea salt and black pepper
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water in a small bowl, then whisk in the honey. Leave to activate for about 10 minutes – the mixture will start to foam slightly when ready.
Meanwhile mix together the flours and seeds in a large bowl and season well. Make a well in the centre of the flour and gradually pour in the yeast mix, mixing with the flour as you go. Add the oil and the yoghurt and mix to form a dough. Turn out on to a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Gather the dough into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (this should take 1–1½ hours). The dough will be slightly wetter than traditional bread dough.
When the dough is ready, knock it back in the bowl and divide into 6 pieces. Flour a smooth surface and roll out each piece of dough into a rough circle about 1cm thick. Transfer to a tray, stacking up the dough rounds interleaved with baking parchment.
Prepare a charcoal fire in a barbecue or preheat the grill to maximum.
If you are using a barbecue, brush the breads with oil, then lay them carefully on the grill over the hot coals – they will cook quickly. Once they have puffed up, turn them over using tongs and cook the other side. A little char from the flames is fine and quite authentic. If you are grilling, place the breads on an oiled tray, brush the tops with oil and grill until they are puffed and golden brown. Turn them over and repeat the process.
Serve sprinkled with sea salt.
Chickpea and Spelt Flatbreads
Tarongia (Sicilian Olive Oil-fried Flatbread)
with Anchovy, Fennel, Dried Tomatoes and Pecorino
From the Aeolian islands off the Sicilian coast, this wonderful bread is not for the faint hearted. The dough is fried in olive oil for a few minutes before the toppings are added and then grilled to finish. It is completely delicious and the toppings can be varied to your liking. A spicy pâté such as nduja with some fresh and bitter chicory leaves and lemon is a delicious alternative, as is the Tomato, Almond and Chilli Pesto here.
The dough will naturally take on the flavour of the olive oil used to deep fry, so be sure to go with a favourite variety.
Serves 6
Dough
240ml lukewarm water
50ml red wine
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 x 7g sachet dried yeast granules
425g strong white flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
½ teaspoon fine salt
olive oil
Filling
1 bulb of fennel, cored and finely sliced
75g sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and roughly chopped
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced
18 salted anchovies
100g pecorino or caciocavallo, grated
1 tablespoon picked thyme leaves
sea salt and black pepper
First make the bread dough. Put the water, wine, oil and honey in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and stir well. Leave to activate and become foamy. Now add a third of the flour, the lemon zest and salt and whisk in to make a smooth batter. Mix in the remaining flour to make a manageable dough.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes or until you have a firm, smooth dough. Shape into a ball, place in a bowl and cover with a cloth. Leave to rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Cut the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll out each piece into a rough circle. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before cooking.
Heat enough olive oil for shallow frying in a deep pan to 170°C. In batches, carefully lower the breads into the hot oil using a metal spatula or spider and fry for 5–6 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm.
To make the filling, heat a sauté pan over a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Add the fennel and season, then cook for 3 minutes or until softened and browned. Add the tomatoes, onion and chilli, stir and cook for a further 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Preheat the grill. Divide the fennel and tomato mix among the flatbreads, spreading it over the top, followed by the anchovies and then the cheese. Place under the grill and cook for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.
Tarongia (Sicilian Olive Oil-fried Flatbread)
Sobrassada and Cornmeal Bread
During the Middle Ages, after centuries of Muslim rule, the consumption of pork returned to Spain and its islands. Salchichón and chorizo soon became very popular, making use of all the cheaper cuts of the beast with the addition of heavy spicing to add flavour and to preserve or, in more desperate situations, help disguise meat that was past its best.
The heavily spiced Majorcan pork pâté, sobrassada, is still made in the same way using smoked paprika produced on the island.
The Moors donated their stroke of genius to this recipe by baking rendered lamb and goat fat into the simple unleavened flat breads to add richness and meaty flavour. In this version the principle is continued with pâté being baked into a simple cornmeal bread, giving a spicy richness to an otherwise heavy rustic bread.
Absolutely sublime when served with sheep’s or goat’s milk cheeses and honey.
Serves 8–10
310g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
90g polenta (cornmeal), plus extra for the baking tray
2 teaspoons fine salt
2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
170g sobrassada, skin removed and broken into chunks
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling the bowl
320ml lukewarm water
1 egg beaten with a little water
Mix together the flour, polenta, salt, yeast and sobrassada in a bowl. Pour in the oil and water and stir with a wooden spoon to form a sticky dough. Dust it with flour and knead in the bowl for 3 minutes, adding a little more flour as you go if the dough is very sticky.
Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and dust with a little more flour. Continue kneading for about 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. The sobrassada will have spread throughout the dough, flecking it red. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm spot to prove for an hour or so or until doubled in size.
Dust a baking tray with polenta. Turn out the dough on to a floured worktop. Flatten it and knead for 3 minutes or so or until smooth and elastic again. Form the dough into an oval loaf and place on the polenta-dusted baking tray. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm spot to prove for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas Mark 7.
Using a sharp knife, slash the loaf 2 or 3 times across the top. Brush with the egg wash, then bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 30 minutes or until crusty and golden, and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
Cool on a wire rack before eating.
Sobrassada and Cornmeal Bread
Potato, Honey and Thyme Flatbreads
This flat bread recipe is one that I’ve been tweaking and updating for a few years now. It’s an excellent light bread that is given a chewiness via the addition of potatoes.
You can vary the herbs to finish the bread or, as I like to do, brush with melted butter and then sprinkle over some smoked paprika and ground cumin for a spicy alternative.
Makes 12
Starter
50g strong white flour
50ml lukewarm water
2g dried yeast granules
Dough
500g strong white flour
325g lukewarm water
125g roasted potatoes, crushed
30g runny blossom honey
3.2g dried yeast granules
16g fine salt
semolina flour, for dusting
sea salt, for sprinkling
To serve
extra virgin olive oil and picked thyme leaves
The day before, mix together the ingredients for the starter in a bowl. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight to ferment and bubble.
Put the starter and all the ingredients for the bread dough into a free-standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a bowl if you are making the bread by hand). Start mixing slowly to bring everything together, then speed up for the last few minutes to make sure everything is fully incorporated. The consistency of the dough should be very sticky.
Cover with a cloth and leave to rise at room temperature for an hour or until doubled in size. Knock back, then turn out on to a floured surface and knead for 2–3 minutes before returning to the bowl for a second rise of another hour.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into 12 balls, each weighing 100g. Place on a tray lined with baking parchment and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then flatten the balls to about 1.5cm thick. Sprinkle these flatbreads with semolina flour and sea salt. Leave for another 30 minutes before cooking.
The flatbreads are best cooked on a ridged grill pan over a medium heat or over a medium charcoal fire in a barbecue. Lightly drizzle extra virgin olive oil over both sides of the breads and rub in. Cook in batches, carefully lifting the breads up and laying them on the griddle or barbecue grill. They will cook quite quickly – about 3 minutes on each side or until they are browned and puffed up. Serve hot, drizzled with more olive oil and fresh thyme leaves.
Prawn Revuelto
with Wild Garlic and Roast Pepper
Scrambled eggs are such a good vessel for the carrying of delicious things. Revuelto isn’t usually eaten for breakfast in Spain – the Spaniards are serious egg lovers and save this dish for the more esteemed eating hours of lunch or dinner.
I like to use tinned, wood-roasted and hand-peeled piquillo peppers for this recipe, still retaining flecks of charred skin with a lovely smoky flavour. You can buy them online or in Spanish delis. Regular jarred peeled peppers are a great substitute.
Serves 4
8 free-range eggs
75ml full-cream milk
50g unsalted butter
olive oil
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed
12 large raw tiger prawns, peeled, deveined if necessary and roughly chopped
100g roasted, peeled red peppers from a jar (such as piquillo), roughly chopped
a handful of wild garlic leaves (if not in season use a handful of baby spinach leaves plus 1 garlic clove, finely chopped)
sea salt and black pepper
Break the eggs into a bowl, add the milk and season with salt and pepper. Whisk well.
Heat a medium non-stick sauté pan over a medium heat and add the butter and a glug of olive oil. When the butter has melted and started to bubble, add the paprika and cumin (and chopped garlic if using spinach) and cook for a minute, stirring. Turn the heat to low and add the egg mixture and prawns. Cook gently, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes or until the eggs just start to scramble and the prawns are cooked through.
Add the peppers and wild garlic (or spinach) and cook, mixing well, for a further minute or so to wilt the leaves and warm the peppers through. The eggs should still be quite loose (the residual heat will continue cooking the eggs through).
Immediately transfer the eggs to serving plates. This is great with some home-made flatbread (see here).
Prawn Revuelto with Wild Garlic and Roast Pepper
Gypsy Eggs
I love this warming, comforting brunch dish, and I’ve been cooking it for many years now, often with a slight hangover. This is my version where the smoked paprika-scented spices and smokiness gently infuse the soft yolk making you feel whole again.
Serves 4
olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
180g spicy cooking chorizo, peeled and cut into chunks
4 slices of jamón serrano, cut into strips
2 x 400g good-quality canned chopped tomatoes
120g frozen peas, thawed
4 large free-range eggs
a few picked coriander leaves
sea salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4.
Heat a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add a glug of olive oil and then the onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the paprika, chilli flakes, chorizo and jamÓn. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until the onion has softened and the chorizo juices have been released. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer until reduced by about half, stirring from time to time.
Divide the tomato-chorizo sauce among 4 ovenproof cocotte dishes. Sprinkle the peas over the sauce and crack an egg on to the top of each dish. Bake for 12 minutes or until the egg white is set but the yolk still soft.
Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve immediately, with warm flatbreads.
Gypsy Eggs
Duck Egg
with Green Harissa and Jamón Ibérico
This is basically egg and bacon Andalucían-style with a little Moorish twist.
Green harissa is a wonderful fresh and spicy chilli-herb paste that when used in this recipe cuts through the richness of the eggs and jamón, balancing out the dish to make it perfection on a breakfast plate.
I like to use jamón Ibérico de bellota, the king of Spanish cured hams but jamón serrano will do the job nicely should Ibérico be hard to find.
Serves 4
4 duck eggs
a splash of white wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
120g thinly sliced jamón Ibérico de bellota
4 slices of sourdough bread, drizzled with olive oil on both sides and charred on a ridged grill pan
sea salt and black pepper
Green harissa
65g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
30g coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
¼ teaspoon caster sugar
175ml extra virgin olive oil
First make the harissa. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz to a rough purée. Season to taste and reserve.
Crack each egg into a separate small bowl.
Set a medium pan of water over a medium heat, add the vinegar and bring to a simmer. Carefully slide in the eggs from their bowls and cook for about 4 minutes or until the whites are nicely set but the yolk is still soft. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, drain well on kitchen paper and gently dab dry. Season.
Place an egg on each plate and drizzle over some olive oil. Drape a slice of jamón over the egg and spoon around the harissa. Serve with the grilled sourdough.
Duck Egg
Poached Eggs
with Grilled and Marinated Wild Mushrooms and Jamón
One of my favourite spins on the classic Spanish ‘jamón and eggs’. I like to use a griddle pan (or better still a barbecue) and grill the fleshy mushrooms for an almost meat-like quality.
It’s widely overlooked that the more robust and sturdy lettuces can be cooked with lovely results.
Serves 4
200g meaty king oyster or porcini mushrooms, trimmed and wiped clean
olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 teaspoons picked rosemary leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon sweet sherry vinegar
1 head red chicory, stalk trimmed
1 head yellow/white chicory, stalk trimmed
1 large Baby Gem lettuce, stalk trimmed
a splash of white wine vinegar
4 free-range eggs
2 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted
40g thinly sliced jamón Ibérico de bellota
sea salt and black pepper
Cut the mushrooms in half lengthways (or smaller pieces if the mushrooms are very large) and check again to be sure they are clean – a quick wash under cold running water is okay. Pat dry if washed. Toss the mushrooms with olive oil and seasoning.
Heat a ridged grill pan. Cook the mushrooms over a medium heat until they are tender and nicely charred on both sides. Transfer to a bowl and add the garlic, rosemary, sherry vinegar and a splash of olive oil. Toss the hot mushrooms to mix with the seasonings, then leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. (Keep the grill pan over the heat.)
Meanwhile, separate the leaves of the chicory and lettuce. Put into a bowl with seasoning and some olive oil and toss together. Cook the leaves briefly on the hot grill pan to wilt and lightly char – you’ll need to do this in 2 or 3 batches. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Bring a medium pan of water to a simmer and add the white wine vinegar. Carefully slide in the eggs and cook until soft poached. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper.
Divide the wilted chicory and lettuce among 4 plates. Spoon the mushrooms with some of the marinade over the chicory-lettuce on each plate and place an egg on top. Finish with toasted pine nuts and slices of jamón. A perfect brunch.
Poached Eggs
Flamenco Eggs and Pancetta
Shakshuka is a popular Middle Eastern dish with its origins in Tunisia. It is essentially a baked egg dish with tomatoes, peppers, garlic and fresh herbs. The Moorish-Andalucían version is known as flamenco eggs and though quite similar to the Arab version, includes spicy chorizo and jamón.
Hugely popular in the UK and elsewhere as a great breakfast or brunch dish, in Spain and the Middle East it’s more likely to be eaten in the evening. Whether served at breakfast or dinner it’s always delicious.
Serves 4
olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
80g smoked pancetta, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
750g quality canned chopped tomatoes (or ripe tomatoes in season)
2 teaspoons caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs
a small handful of coriander, roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper
Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large, wide pan over a medium heat and add the onion. Cook until golden, then add the peppers and pancetta. Fry until the peppers are soft and the pancetta has released its fat, then stir in the garlic and spices. Cook for 3 minutes.
Pour in the tomatoes and roughly mash. Stir in the sugar. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste and add more cayenne, if needed.
Make 4 indentations in the tomato sauce and break an egg into each. Season them lightly. Turn the heat down to very low, cover with the lid and cook for about 10 minutes or until the eggs are just set – you ideally want the yolks still runny. Sprinkle with the coriander and serve at the table in the pan to share.
Serve with my Sobrassada and Cornmeal Bread.
Flamenco Eggs and Pancetta
Morcilla and Fried Eggs
with Potatoes and Caramelised Onions
Morcilla is the hugely popular blood sausage found all over Spain and exemplifies Spain’s food culture where nothing from the animal goes to waste. It is a centuries old preparation created through extreme poverty in frugal times and long before the Moors arrived.
The Arab influence can be felt in the morcilla of southern Spain and the Balearics where ingredients such as cinnamon, cumin, dried fruits and nuts are added for flavour and as a filler. All good Spanish delicatessens will sell a selection of morcilla.
Serves 4
2 medium Desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
1 Spanish onion, finely sliced
olive oil
200g spiced southern Spanish morcilla, in sausage-style links
4 free-range eggs
¼ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
sea salt and black pepper
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until half cooked. Drain well and lay them out on a tray to steam dry.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/Gas Mark 5.
Toss the potatoes and onion in plenty of olive oil and seasoning, then spread them on a baking tray. Roast, turning them over occasionally with a spatula, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the potatoes are golden brown and the onions are nicely caramelised.
About 25 minutes before the potatoes are ready, heat a large, non-stick sauté pan over a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Fry the morcilla to brown on all sides. Transfer them to the tray with the potatoes and onions and finish the cooking process. The fat and juices from the morcilla will combine deliciously with the potatoes and onions.
Add some more oil to the pan you fried the morcilla in and gently fry the eggs as you like. Finish them with some seasoning and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Serve the eggs on top of the sausage and potato.
Morcilla and Fried Eggs
Crispy Fried Aubergines
with Honey
Aubergines were a gift from the Moors bestowed on the Mediterranean during their occupation. I associate the Mediterranean aubergine with Sicily in particular where it takes centre stage in a whole wonderful variety of dishes, such as the Sicilian signature pasta dish of spaghetti alla Norma, in rolled involtini stuffed with raisins, pine nuts and bread or the glorious stuffed aubergines with preserved lemon and almonds here.
This is an incredibly simple recipe and one of my favourite ways to cook the aubergine – deep-fried in a light batter, crispy on the outside, soft and melting within. It’s perfect as part of a brunch feast or a pre-dinner snack, and a great accompaniment to the grilled fennel crusted sardines here.
I like to use a deep, intense chestnut honey for this recipe but any quality runny honey will do.
Serves 4
2 medium aubergines (very firm with shiny and unblemished skin)
50g plain flour, sifted
75ml lukewarm water
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
20ml chestnut or other runny honey
1 teaspoon picked thyme leaves
sea salt and black pepper
Trim the ends from the aubergines and discard, then cut the aubergines across into 1cm slices.
Whisk together the flour and water with some salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth, then leave this batter to rest for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer or deep pan to 170°C. Dip the aubergine slices in the batter, then fry until tender and golden brown on both sides – do this in 2 or 3 batches to avoid over-crowding, which would cause the oil temperature to drop; it is important the oil stays hot to crisp the batter. Drain well and season.
Serve drizzled with honey and sprinkled with thyme leaves.
Crispy Fried Aubergines
Home-made Goat’s Milk Labneh
with Fresh Peas, Broad Beans, Almonds and Mint
A few years back on a trip to Sicily I stopped off for lunch in a beautiful, historic seaside town called Cefalù. The cafés and restaurants were brimming with a myriad of freshly caught fish. I ordered a simple wood-grilled red mullet and a salad on the side – the salad was a revelation.
It was a simple assembly of freshly podded raw peas and beans with the addition of the most pungent mint, chunks of buttery, marcona-like almonds and a dollop of super fresh, tangy goat’s curd, or labneh. Popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, labneh is strained yoghurt.
This version comes pretty close to the Sicilian, minus the blazing sun.
Serves 4
70ml extra virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons caster sugar
juice of 1 lemon
100g podded super fresh peas
75g podded super fresh broad beans, grey skins removed
zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
a handful of mint leaves
50g marcona almonds or other quality whole almonds, roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper
Labneh
900g goat’s or cow’s milk yoghurt (or a mix of the two)
½ teaspoon fine salt
First make the labneh. Line a bowl with a large piece of muslin. Pour in the yoghurt, sprinkle in the salt and stir. Bring the muslin up into a tight bundle and tie the ends together with string. Hang the muslin bag over the bowl, or from your kitchen tap over the sink, and leave to drain for 24 hours. After this time the yoghurt will have lost most of its liquid and will be quite thick – the centre may still be a bit creamy, which is fine. Transfer the labneh to a container and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
Whisk together the oil, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and season well. Stir the peas and beans into the dressing and sprinkle in the zest.
Spoon the labneh on to serving plates. Top with the peas, beans and dressing. Scatter the mint leaves and almonds over the top and serve.
Home-made Goat’s Milk Labneh
Courgette Flowers
Stuffed with Sheep’s Cheese and Mint
Courgette flowers are perfect for stuffing. Very delicate, they need careful handling so as to avoid tearing the petals which hold in the delicious minty cheese stuffing.
They are at their best in the late summertime.
Serves 4 as a starter
50g soft sheep’s cheese, at room temperature
4 large courgette flowers, stamens carefully removed
4 mint leaves
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
100ml runny orange blossom honey
sea salt
Batter
225g plain flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
500ml cold sparkling water
First make the batter. Put the flour, baking powder and cumin in a large wide bowl, add the water and whisk until smooth. The consistency of the batter will be quite loose. Cover with clingfilm and leave to rest at room temperature while you prepare the courgette flowers.
Divide the cheese into 4 balls, then very carefully insert one into the cavity in each flower along with a mint leaf. Pull the petals up and lightly twist together to seal in the cheese. Fold the twists to the side of the flower and place twist side down on a tray. Cut a slit into the stalk (the baby courgette), about halfway up (the cut will help the stalk cook more quickly). Chill for 20 minutes to set.
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or deep pan to 180°C.
Remove the flowers from the fridge and place in the batter, turning them to ensure they are fully coated. Carefully place the flowers, one by one, in the hot oil, flower first: submerge the flower head in the oil for a few seconds to seal, then drop fully into the oil. Cook for 3 minutes, turning once, until a light golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain well.
Serve hot, drizzled with honey, seasoned with sea salt and sprinkled with the remaining mint leaves.
Courgette Flowers
Burrata on Sourdough
with Crushed Coriander and Fennel Seeds and Burnt Orange
At the heart of this recipe is the magical combination of ultra creamy, rich burrata married with the crunchy mix of aromatic spices gently nestling against sweetly charred oranges.
Ensure your burrata is super fresh – in southern Italy, where burrata is made, you’ll find that the locals won’t consume anything that’s over 24 hours old. If you can’t find burrata then a fresh buffalo mozzarella will do nicely.
As well as making a delicious brunch, I love to serve this as a starter for a mid-summer dinner when there’s an exotic, sultry feel in the air.
Serves 4
2 medium, sweet oranges, peeled, pith removed and cut horizontally in half
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
½ tablespoon fennel seeds
extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
4 small slices of sourdough bread
4 small burrata (as fresh as can be), at room temperature
a handful of fresh herb fennel or dill, fronds picked
sea salt and black pepper
Sprinkle the cut side of the orange halves with the sugar and rub it in. Set aside for 5 minutes. Heat a medium sauté pan over a medium heat. Put the orange halves in the pan cut side down. Lower the heat slightly and leave the oranges to caramelise, without moving them, for 8–10 minutes or until coloured to a deep, dark caramel – almost burnt. Remove from the heat and leave the oranges to cool in the pan.
Lightly crush the coriander and fennel seeds with a pestle and mortar. Tip into a small saucepan and cover with a tablespoon of olive oil. Heat the seeds and oil over a low heat until the oil starts to bubble and the seeds lightly fizzle. Immediately remove from the heat and add the vinegar and the caramelised orange juices from the sauté pan. Stir to mix.
Heat a ridged grill pan. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the bread and char on both sides in the hot pan.
Drain the burrata and carefully pat dry with kitchen paper, then season well. Place a burrata with a piece of caramelised orange on each slice of bread. Spoon over the spice-oil dressing and scatter the herbs on top. Serve immediately.
Burrata on Sourdough
Shrimp and Cumin Fritters
or Tortillitas
These deep fried pancakes are ubiquitous in Andalucía, the frying capital of Europe.
Everywhere has its own version, ranging from smart, high-end restaurants to rough and ready street stalls. I’ve always found the best ones in the food markets of Cádiz and Grenada, served straight from the fryer in brown paper accompanied by an ice-cold Alhambra beer.
Traditionally these would be made with just chickpea flour but I like to add some plain flour to lighten them up a touch.
The tiny raw shrimps used to make these authentic fritters are best found in the frozen aisles of Asian supermarkets – failing that chopped raw frozen prawns will work well too.
Serves 4–6
(makes 16 fritters)
175g tiny peeled raw shrimps or small peeled raw prawns (thawed if frozen)
75g chickpea flour (gram flour)
100g plain flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder
a small glass of white wine
2 spring onions, finely sliced
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, roughly crushed
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
groundnut oil, for frying
lemon, to serve
sea salt
If using tiny shrimps, just make sure the heads are removed. If using larger shrimps or prawns, cut them into chunks.
Put the flours and baking powder into a bowl and whisk in 300ml of cold water and the wine – you want to achieve a batter with the consistency of thick cream. Add the shrimps, spring onions and spices and season with salt. Stir to mix. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Pour about 1cm of groundnut oil into a large sauté pan and place over a high heat. After a few minutes check that the oil is hot by dropping a little batter into it – it should sizzle straightaway.
Mix the batter again, then working in 2 or 3 batches so as not to over-crowd the pan, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and spread them lightly with the back of the spoon to form thin fritters. Cook for 2–3 minutes or until they puff up, turning them so they are nicely browned on both sides with crisp edges.
Remove from the pan straight on to kitchen paper to drain. Sprinkle liberally with salt and serve immediately with lemon wedges to squeeze over. I like to serve these with my Almond Alioli.
Shrimp and Cumin Fritters
Chickpea Pancakes (Panelle)
with Cumin, Coriander and Raw Fennel
Palermo is famed for its street food culture and if you take a walk around its narrow streets you’ll see, hear and smell the friggitorie, or fry shops, in full swing, busily churning out wonderful potato croquettes, fried aubergines and chickpea pancakes.
The panelle pancakes are made with gram chickpea flour, spices and water to form a batter and then fried, often served stuffed inside a sesame-seeded durum wheat bread bun. These tasty pancakes are one of the few chickpea flour-based specialties found in Sicilian cuisine and originate from the time of Arab rule in the 10th century.
My version includes a fresh, crunchy fennel salad.
Serves 4
Pancakes
225g chickpea flour (gram flour), sifted
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
a small handful of coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped
olive oil, for greasing
vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
4 sesame-seeded buns, split in half
sea salt and black pepper
Salad
1 small bulb of fennel with fronds
juice of ½ lemon
40ml extra virgin olive oil
Whisk together the flour and 750ml of water to make a smooth batter and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a small pan over a medium heat, add the cumin, cinnamon and chilli flakes and toast lightly until fragrant. Add to the batter and stir in along with the chopped coriander.
Pour the batter into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the batter thickens and comes away from the side of the pan.
Grease a 25 x 10cm baking tin with olive oil. Pour in the cooked batter (you ideally want a depth of about 5mm) and leave to cool completely before placing in the fridge to chill until set.
Make the salad shortly before serving. Finely slice the fennel on a mandoline or with a very sharp knife, then toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning to taste. Set aside.
Turn the tin upside down to unmould the chickpea cake. Cut it into 5 x 2cm rectangles. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan for shallow-frying to 170°C.
Working in batches, carefully drop the chickpea rectangles into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Drain well on a tea towel or kitchen paper. Season with sea salt, then serve hot in the buns with the fennel salad.
Chickpea Pancakes (Panelle)
Patatas Bravas
If there’s a signature dish of Spain it probably has to be patatas bravas, found in every tapas bar up and down the country.
The Moorish connection here isn’t the dish as a whole but just the sauce – potatoes didn’t hit Spain until the 16th century, long after the Moors had been pushed out of the country back to North Africa.
Originating in Madrid as a simple tomato sauce with lots of chilli flakes (bravas, roughly translated, means fierce) it then made its way around Spain’s regions and picked up its Moorish influence through Andalucía – it’s the ultimate version, spicy, smoky and sharpened up with good sherry vinegar. Serve with a large dollop of my home-made alioli.
Serves 4
600g large waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into thick chips
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika
1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
250g very ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon picked thyme leaves
Alioli, to serve
sea salt and black pepper
Rinse the potatoes in cold water, then place them in a pan of salted water. Bring to a simmer and partly cook – they should still be a little firm in the centre. Drain and spread the potatoes on a tray to cool for at least 1 hour.
To make the sauce, heat a glug of olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, chilli, smoked paprika and cumin seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until the onion is very soft. Add the canned and fresh tomatoes and the vinegar. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for an hour or so until the sauce has reduced by half, stirring occasionally to prevent it sticking. Season well and stir in the thyme leaves plus a splash of oil. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6. Tip the potatoes into a roasting tray. Liberally drizzle olive oil over them and toss to coat. Season well. Roast, shaking the tray occasionally, for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are crisp and golden brown.
Sprinkle the potatoes with sea salt and spoon the bravas sauce on top. Serve with the alioli on the side.
Patatas Bravas
