Perfect Breakfast!

Hope makes a good breakfast. Eat plenty of it.

Sir Ian Fleming

Well, it’s safe to say, it’s been a bit of a busy few weeks with meetings after meetings and training after training, some virtual, some face to face, some learning some sharing knowledge. The unit on which I work though was eerily quiet last weekend, there was a real sense of the calm before the storm however, it’s been filling up steadily all week, we’re still below maximum capacity and whilst there is a sense of trepidation and worry there is certainly no panic and no hysteria. There’s a job to do, lets just get on with it!

As the title suggests I don’t want to talk about it, I for one get enough from the media, I’m sure you’re the same. Today and tomorrow are the first full days off, (hopefully!) since the 15th of March, (sorry I missed the post last week!). On the way home yesterday evening, in the car my thoughts turned to breakfast and I decided I was going to royally treat myself! So, I have my breakfast plans all sorted for today and tomorrow and by luck and determination I’ve managed to get my hands on all the ingredients!

This morning we will start with a cheeky little an Espresso Martini, a simple cocktail made from vodka, sugar syrup, coffee liquor and freshly brewed espresso coffee, judge me all you like, it’s been a long week!

This will be followed by one of my favourite brunch recipes – One-pan all-day breakfast, it’s dead simple but omg, sooooo tasty!

You’ll need;

1 tbsp light olive oil
8 x 10% fat pork sausage, cut into chunks
6 spring onions, finely chopped
200g/7oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g/14oz cherry tomatoes, halved
400g tin baked beans
4 large free-range eggs
¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
40g/1½oz feta
2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish

As the name would suggest, you simply throw everything into one pan but there is a knack;

Heat the oil in a large, wide frying pan. Brown the sausages for 2–3 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the spring onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, beans and sausages and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sausages are cooked through.
Make four wells in the mixture and crack the eggs into them. Cover the pan and steam for 6–8 minutes, or until the whites are set or cooked to your liking.
Sprinkle a little paprika over each egg, crumble over the feta and spoon into bowls. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.An Easy Peasy recipe that will do for four peeps!

To start Sunday morning, we will begin with a Bellini, take a champagne flute, fill it a third of the way with peach puree then top up with either chilled Champagne or Prosecco.

Whilst I’m hoping Sunday will ultimately be a lazy day, I’m going to but a little more effort into breaky with my most favourite of omelettes, Tom Kerridge’s, (cooking God!!), Ultimate English breakfast omelette.

Here’s what you need;

8 new potatoes
2–3 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
100g/3½oz black pudding, cut into rings and then into quarters
100g/3½oz bacon lardons
100g/3½oz cooking chorizo
2 banana shallots, thinly sliced into rings
2 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
1 green chilli, thinly sliced
6 free-range eggs, beaten
1 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary
1 bunch flatleaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

And here’s how you make it;

Cook the new potatoes in salted boiling water for 12–15 until just soft.Drain in a colander then leave to steam dry and cool.When cool, cut them in half and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Heat a 25cm/10in ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat and add a little oil.Fry the black pudding until crisp, remove from the pan and drain on kitchen roll.Add the bacon to the pan and fry until it starts to brown and the fat renders out.Add the whole chorizo to the pan and fry with the bacon.The smoky red paprika oil will start to come out of the chorizo.Remove the bacon and chorizo from the pan and drain on some kitchen roll.When the chorizo is cool enough to handle, slice it thinly.
Add one of the sliced banana shallots and the grated garlic to the pan with all of the rendered oil still in it, and cook on a low heat until soft.Add the halved potatoes and stir around, then put the cooked meats back into the pan and add the green chilli.
Pour the eggs into the pan, add the rosemary and half the chopped parsley.Season with salt and pepper and stir slowly over a low heat until it starts to firm up.Put the pan in the oven and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the eggs are set and puffed up.
Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle on the remaining raw shallot and chopped parsley.Serve immediately.