Bring the world of brunches into your kitchen. Photo / Unsplash
Bring the world of brunches into your kitchen. Photo / Unsplash
Food is such a quintessential part of travel. Whether it's revisiting that same cafe or pub every day until it becomes "yours", or the scent of a curried noodle soup that brings to mind a streetcart in Southeast Asia years later, our stomachs are a driving force of itineraries and fond memories.
And brunch? Brunch is a quintessential part of any lazy weekend. It's luxurious, social - and cocktails are allowed.
It is also often a meal that someone else - a professional - cooks for you. But with their heavy reliance on eggs, stove-top vegetables and comforting bready treats, brunch foods are fast and simple. It's simply the best meal of any day, even if you're the chef.
Here's how to bring the world to your dining table every weekend.
Anyone who has travelled to Turkey will know that the Turks really know how to start the day. Salads and stewed vegetables, thick yoghurt drizzled with runny jam and tahini, chewy fresh breads, soft cheese, hard cheese and squeaky cheese - no one is leaving the table hungry.
Cilbir is a luxurious Turkish dish that involves soft-cooking eggs, then adding a garlicky yoghurt sauce and butter. It is savoury, rich and simple. The yolks should be runny, and the chilli will cut right through the butter. Ottoman sultans were said to be eating this dish 600 years ago - let's not stop now.
How to do it
Whisk yoghurt with a crushed garlic clove. Leave it whole so it's easy to fish out later. Brown butter in a pan and add chilli flakes and some olive oil. Poach your eggs - about five minutes for runny centres. Then build your bowl - start with the yoghurt in the bottom, add an egg, and pour over that spicy butter. Top with any soft herbs you have to hand. Eat with crunchy toast.
The American pancake
Crepes are all very well, good and classy, but the high-rise stack of risen American pancakes is a breakfast diner institution. They should be fluffy, cake-y, and preferably covered with something indulgent - if you layered crispy bacon, caramelised banana and maple syrup, you wouldn't be going too far.
The first pancake is always a dud - the reasons for this are a complicated mix of how relaxed your batter is, how hot your pan is, and how well-greased it is - so just treat it as a snack for the chef and get flipping.
How to do it
Line up your ingredients. You want 1c white flour, 2Tbsp sugar, 2tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 1c milk, 2Tbsp oil or melted butter and 1 egg. Mix the dry ingredients well, then mix the wet separately, then add them together. Only mix as much as you need to combine them into a smooth batter - although a few lumps of flour never hurt anyone. Leave to rest while you heat the pan.
Heat the pan to medium-hot, and grease it well. Drop as much batter as you like into the pan - the size is up to you. Then be patient. Let them brown at the edges, let some bubbles appear in the batter. When things are looking sturdy and you're feeling brave, flip. Regrease the pan between each batch. Good luck.
The first course: a stack of pancakes with butter, syrup and three strips of bacon. Photo / 123rf
A proper British bacon sandwich
You may not think you need a lesson in how to make a bacon sandwich. But too many people overthink this simple classic.
Fergus Henderson knows a thing or two about a bacon sandwich. He is the founder of St John - a temple to nose-to-tail eating - in central London. But it is at the sister restaurant - St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields - that you will find what must be the world's best bacon sandwich.
Henderson believes a bacon sandwich should show restraint in the number of ingredients, but indulgence in the quality. You'll need the best bacon you can get your hands on, white bread toasted to give it some structure, lashings of butter on both slices, and a sauce (tomato or HP are fine).
How to do it
Toast your bread and fry or grill the bacon to your liking. Butter both sides of your bread, then add bacon and sauce. Done.
The Israeli breakfast
The Israeli breakfast is famed for its variety, health and the sheer size of the thing. Order beachside in Tel Aviv or in a rooftop cafe in Haifa, and all number of tiny dishes may be served to your table - hummus, tomato and cucumber salads, fresh flatbreads, baba ghanoush, yoghurt, cheeses, boiled eggs, crudites and pickles. And that's before your main has arrived.
This style of breakfast originated in the country's kibbutzes, where workers would rise early, put in a few hard hours on the farms, and then be rewarded with a large healthful breakfast at around 10am.
A popular hot option is the spicy shakshuka - eggs cooked in a stew of tomatoes, onions, capsicums, plus spices and lots of fresh herbs.
Warm some oil and saute what you have on hand - you could throw in peppers, courgette, spinach, onion or spring onion, and fresh or tinned tomatoes. A little chorizo wouldn't go amiss. Season, then add ground cumin, paprika and chilli. When the vegetables are soft, create some little craters in the dish, and crack one egg into each crater, then finish the dish in a hot oven - no more than 10 minutes so the eggs don't overcook. Throw any soft herbs you have on top, and perhaps a little feta.
Spicy shakshuka is a classic dish found across the Middle East. Photo / 123rf
The Antipodean scramble
Ironically, it is travelling that world that will finally wake you up to the true wonder of New Zealand and Australian brunch egg dishes. No over-beating, no over-stirring, no under-buttering. The texture should be custardy and rich, and the eggs should be able to slide out of the pan in one delicious piece.
The first step to perfecting the scramble is to distance yourself from the word scramble. A good scrambled egg should be only lightly beaten, and shouldn't be bothered too much once it's in the pan. If it looks anything like the texture of cottage cheese, you went too far.
How to do it
Add butter to a hot pan - don't be shy, then pour in your beaten, seasoned eggs. You can add cream to the eggs if you like. Let the eggs sit in the pan for a moment, as if you're making an omelette. Wait about 15 seconds, then take a spatula and drag it around the edges of the pan, pulling those cooked edges into the centre. The runny centre will flow towards the now empty edge. Repeat no more than three times, over no more than two minutes.
Bloody Marys and mimosas are great options for brunch. Photo / 123rf
The drinks
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Brunch is a civilised affair, where cocktails are allowed. Unless you're planning a nap afterwards, keep it light.
Formerly known as a Red Snapper, the Bloody Mary is famously tastier on an aeroplane (at 30,000ft, most flavour receptors are dulled, but umami is heightened). In lieu of that possibility, here's how to mix up this 100-year-old classic on the ground.
Mix one part vodka to three parts tomato juice. Add fresh lemon juice, two dashes of Worchestershire (pronounced "wooster") sauce, and two to four dashes of tabasco. Season generously, then stir over ice. Add a celery stick for stirring and snacking.
Mimosa
A mimosa is as straightforward as just pouring some orange juice into your sparkling wine. If you're really feeling fancy, add a splash of Grand Marnier or whisky. Don't break the bank on the bubbles - cava and prosecco are fine.
Breakfast sangria
A light drink that comes with bonus fruit - like breakfast and drinks all at once. Take a glass jug and pack it one-third full with fruit - try a mix of citrus, like slices of orange and grapefruit, or strawberries and cucumber. Add a bottle of bubbles, a litre of good orange juice, a cup of Cointreau if you're in the mood, and a dash of sparkling if it needs lightening up.
