Brunch is the mealtime that doesn’t really exist during the week, and that is part of its charm. A top-notch brunch should have us waiting in anticipation all week long. Inviting people around for brunch instead of lunch or supper will give a pleasant change of pace to your weekend. Pull out all the stops and plan a brunch party – these recipes are easy to scale up.
These little fritters are incredibly speedy to throw together for an impromptu brunch and this is a great recipe to use up any bits and bobs of vegetables (anything you can grate or finely slice, or even sweetcorn) that you might have in the fridge. They match brilliantly with any of the following: chilli sauce, seasoned plain yogurt, cottage cheese or tomato salsa.
150g self-raising flour
3 eggs
50ml milk
50g plain yogurt or sour cream
50g cheese, coarsely grated or crumbled
½ bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced
Small bunch of dill, parsley or basil, finely chopped
400g courgettes, coarsely grated and squeezed dry (or carrots, beetroot, cabbage or a mix of whatever you have)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable or olive oil, for frying
Put the flour in a bowl and whisk in the eggs, milk and yogurt. Stir in the cheese, spring onions, herbs and the grated vegetables. Season with pepper and a pinch of salt.
Heat a frying pan over a medium to high heat and add just enough oil to coat the pan. When the oil is hot, drop in heaped tablespoonfuls of the batter and fry for about 2 minutes, until the bottom has firmed up, then flip over and fry on the other side for 2 minutes. When cooked, transfer to a warmed plate and cover with a cloth.
Continue to make more fritters in small batches, until all the mix is used up. Serve immediately.
Muffins are at their very best when freshly cooked – cool enough to handle but warm enough to just begin melting the slab of butter that we all know muffins are best served with! Having a muffin recipe in your repertoire – one that you can throw together at a moment’s notice – is a great way to get the weekend going.
MAKES 12 MUFFINS
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
120g light brown sugar, plus 3 tbsp to sprinkle on top
250g fresh fruit (apples, pears or firm peaches), coarsely grated
75g plain yogurt
75g melted butter or vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
2 eggs, beaten
Preheat the oven to 190°C (180°C fan) and grease a non-stick 12-hole muffin tin with butter or oil.
Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, and make a well in the centre.
In a jug or bowl, mix the grated fruit with the yogurt, butter and eggs.
Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients and mix gently, just enough to thoroughly combine the wet and dry, but don’t overmix. Spoon the mix into the greased muffin tin and sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, turning the pan after about 12 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops look cracked, and when a toothpick inserted into the centre of one of the muffins comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Best served while warm.
Omit the spices and add a teaspoon of salt; replace the fruit with grated raw vegetables (courgettes, carrots or beetroot); add some chopped herbs and a couple of tablespoons of grated Cheddar or crumbled feta cheese.
These are a fun way to use up any leftover plain croissants – you might even find yourself buying croissants especially to make these almond versions. They can be assembled the night before and kept in the fridge ready to be baked the next morning. You can add cinnamon, bay leaves or cardamom to the syrup, but strain it before using.
80g sugar
100ml water
80g flaked almonds
50g salted butter, diced, at room temperature
1 egg, beaten, at room temperature
4 large day-old croissants, sliced in half horizontally
Icing sugar, for dusting
Put half the sugar with the water in a pan over a medium heat and boil for 1 minute, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (170°C fan) and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Use a food processor or a mortar and pestle to blend or crush the remaining sugar with 50g of the almonds until you have a coarse powder. Add the butter and beat until completely combined, then gradually add the egg and beat until creamy.
Brush each croissant inside and out with the sugar syrup – the croissants should be quite moist and sticky.
Spread the inside of each croissant with about 2 tablespoons of the almond mixture, then close and spread another 1 tablespoon of the mixture on the top. Repeat with the remaining croissants, and then sprinkle with the rest of the flaked almonds. (At this point, they can be kept in the fridge until ready to cook.)
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the almond mixture has set and turned golden. Transfer to a wire rack, dust with icing sugar and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Good bread never should go to waste. Use it for French Toast or the Savoury Bread and Butter Bake, or whizz in the food processor to make your own breadcrumbs (endlessly useful). For this recipe the bread shouldn’t be too stale as it must be pliable enough to press into the moulds. These would also be good to take on a picnic.
MAKES 12 TARTS
About 80g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
12 thin slices of bread, crusts removed
6 slices of rindless streaky bacon, finely chopped
6 eggs
200ml whole milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp sweetcorn, fresh, tinned or frozen (optional)
200g Cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 190°C (180°C fan) and grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter.
Lightly butter both sides of the bread and push into the muffin tin, pressing right into the corners so the bread forms tart cases.
Divide the bacon equally among the bread-lined muffin tins and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the bread is crisp and starting to brown at the edges, and the bacon is cooked.
Whisk the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper (going easy on the salt because the cheese and bacon will be salty).
Remove the bread ‘tarts’ from the oven and divide the sweetcorn (if using) and cheese among the tarts. Pour in the egg mix and bake for 15 minutes, until the filling puffs up and the surface browns slightly. Don’t worry if some of the egg mix spills over.
Leave to cool slightly – they are best served warm or at room temperature.
Mushrooms made more glorious with a stuffing of leeks, herbs and breadcrumbs and a creamy mustard sauce. Serve with eggs as an epic brunch dish or, if you’re up for the challenge, use smaller mushrooms for the fanciest mushrooms ever to grace your breakfast fry-up. Smaller stuffed mushrooms would also make brilliant canapés to serve with drinks.
4 tbsp butter
1 leek, finely sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
8 slices of rindless streaky bacon, finely chopped (optional)
80g fresh white breadcrumbs
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large field or Portobello mushrooms
1–2 tbsp Dijon mustard (to taste)
150ml double cream
4 eggs (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan).
Heat half the butter in a pan and cook the leek, half the onion, the thyme and the bacon (if using) for about 10 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat, stir in the breadcrumbs and half the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms for a couple of minutes on each side, adding a pinch of salt as they cook.
Place the mushrooms on a baking tray and divide the leek and breadcrumb mix among the mushrooms, flattening with the back of a spoon. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the filling is golden.
Meanwhile, fry the remaining onion in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the mustard and cream and bring to the boil to thicken, then season to taste, adding more mustard if you like.
Meanwhile, poach or fry the eggs (if using) and drain on kitchen paper.
When the mushrooms are cooked, top each with an egg, spoon over the cream sauce and serve immediately.
Tartiflette is the happiest of combinations: potatoes and ham, draped with cheese and baked until bubbling. It is the sort of dish best served on a cold day and eaten with gusto. This version is a hybrid with that brunch favourite Croque Monsieur, and is built for a heavy-duty brunch offering. Serve with a green salad, dressed simply and sharply with a little red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper, and some tiny cornichons, gherkins or pickled onions.
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
300ml whole milk, warmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 egg yolks
120g waxy potatoes, boiled in salted water until tender, then thinly sliced
1 shallot, very finely chopped (optional)
4 thick slices of sourdough or ciabatta bread
4 slices of smoked ham (cured or cooked)
200g cheese (Gruyère, reblochon, raclette or Taleggio), sliced or grated
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Mix well and cook for about 2 minutes until it starts to bubble slightly. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and cook for 5 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan) or preheat the grill.
Toss the cooked potatoes and the shallot (if using) with the white sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
Toast the bread lightly. Spread a quarter of the potato and sauce mix on to each slice of toast, and top with the ham and the cheese.
Place on a baking sheet and bake or grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling and it is hot throughout, about 5–10 minutes.
Serve immediately, perhaps with mustard and some cornichons, certainly with napkins.
Hash browns are a boon for any fry-up, and these chorizo versions are turbocharged! You can serve these solo, with no other sidekicks, though a fried egg and some tomatoes are very good. You could make individual hash browns, but I like to make one large version, slicing it into large wedges.
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
½ bunch of spring onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
800g waxy potatoes, peeled
100g chorizo (hot or mild), casing removed, finely chopped
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs, to serve (optional)
Roasted or fried tomatoes, to serve (optional)
Hot or sweet paprika, to serve
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the spring onions and garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and keep the pan to one side – no need to clean it at this stage.
Coarsely grate the potatoes, then gather them in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Mix the potatoes into the onion mix along with the chorizo, parsley and some salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan over a medium heat, then add the potato mixture and press down with a spatula. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until browned on the bottom.
Place a plate on top of the pan and carefully flip so the potato mixture is on the plate.
Slide the potatoes back into the pan, cooked-side up, and cook for another 7–8 minutes, until cooked through and browned on both sides.
Meanwhile, fry the eggs and/or tomatoes (if using).
Slide the hash on to a chopping board. Dust with a little paprika, then cut into wedges and serve.
This is inspired by Antipodean café culture, where brunch rules supreme and sandwiches are full to bursting with wholesome ingredients and big, fresh flavours. I’ve suggested using a Cajun or piri piri spice blend here, but you can by all means use your own favourite spice blend. Good-quality bread will make a difference here – think doorstop!
4 skinless chicken breasts, or boneless skinless thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
About 2 tbsp Cajun or piri piri spice blend
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 lemon or lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ripe avocados, peeled and stoned
4 crusty bread rolls or ciabatta rolls, halved
4 slices of Cheddar cheese (optional)
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 soft green lettuce, washed and dried
Rub the chicken with the olive oil, then roll in the spice mix to coat evenly.
Mix the garlic into the mayonnaise with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the grill.
Fry or grill the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side, until charred on the outside and just done in the middle. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, cover with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for a couple of minutes while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.
Mash the avocados and season to taste with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
Toast the halved rolls under the grill, then place a slice of cheese (if using) on the bottom half of each roll and grill until melted. Spread the top half with the mayonnaise.
Thinly slice the chicken, check the seasoning and place on top of the cheese. Top with tomato, avocado and lettuce leaves and serve immediately.
Hot-smoked salmon is an endlessly versatile ingredient. On toast, in a salad or scrambled into eggs, hot-smoked salmon can save many an emergency breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. With watercress and mustard, the combination is a classic. Store any excess mustard butter in the fridge – perfect for ham sandwiches or to top grilled meats or roasted vegetables. Salting and rinsing onions will soften their flavour and texture, giving the onion slices an almost-cooked appearance.
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
80g butter, softened
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp wholegrain mustard (or use just one type of mustard)
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 ripe avocado, peeled and stoned
150–200g hot-smoked salmon fillets, broken into chunks
4 thick slices of brown grainy bread
Bunch of watercress, washed and dried, roughly chopped (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan).
Rub a large pinch of salt into the onion for 1 minute, then rinse and drain well.
Beat the butter with the two mustards, the lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.
Mash the avocado with the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the hot-smoked salmon on a baking tray and place in the oven for 5–10 minutes, until heated through. Break into large flakes.
Toast the bread and spread with the mustard butter, then with the avocado. Top with the salmon, a few onion slices and some watercress.
Cornbread goes down very well with various brunch offerings. Serve these muffins with some smoky paprika baked beans, bacon, creamy mushrooms or fried garlicky prawns. They are best eaten on the day they are made. In the unlikely event of any leftovers, crumble them and use instead of breadcrumbs in the stuffed mushroom recipe. Paper muffin cases are a good idea here as the batter may stick; alternatively, liberally grease the muffin tin with butter.
MAKES 12
6 slices of rindless streaky bacon, finely chopped
60g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 onion, finely chopped
120g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
120g coarse polenta
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large pinch of chilli flakes or powder (or to taste)
150ml whole milk
100g sour cream or buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
100g Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
Preheat the oven to 200°C (190°C fan). If not using paper muffin cases, grease a 12-hole muffin tin generously with butter and dust with flour.
Fry the bacon in the butter until starting to brown, then add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, polenta and bicarbonate of soda with ½ teaspoon of salt, a good grind of black pepper and the chilli flakes, and make a well in the centre.
In a jug or bowl, beat the milk, sour cream and egg together, then mix in the bacon, onion and all of the fat. Pour into the dry ingredients along with the cheese and stir gently until just combined, but don’t overmix.
Spoon into the muffin tin and bake for about 12–15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of one of the muffins comes out clean.
Turn the muffins out on to a wire rack to cool slightly; these are best served warm.
Kippers are a classic breakfast and brunch dish, served with a pile of hot buttered toast and a wedge of lemon. This quintessentially British smoked fish contains healthy proteins and omega-3 fats. Herrings, which are known as kippers when smoked, are one of the more sustainable fish supplies, as they are often caught in large shoals with little in the way of bycatch.
2 whole kippers
40g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
250g young spinach leaves, or watercress
2 tsp mild (or hot) curry powder
½ tsp turmeric
300g white basmati rice, rinsed and drained
500ml vegetable or fish stock, or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon: ½ for juice, the rest cut into wedges
4 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
Fresh green chilli, finely sliced (optional)
Put the kippers in a bowl or pan, cover with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Drain, then flake the flesh, discarding the skin and any bones.
Heat 30g of the butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 10 minutes, or until soft.
Add the curry powder and turmeric to the onion and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the rice. Add the stock or water, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for about 14 minutes or until the rice is tender. Do not stir at all.
Meanwhile, in another pan, wilt the spinach or watercress with the rest of the butter, then drain and put to one side.
When the rice is cooked, stir through the cooked spinach or watercress, fluffing the rice as you go, then stir through the fish. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Serve in bowls, topped with an egg and sprinkled with parsley and green chilli (if using), with a lemon wedge on the side.
