Sunday Brunch (3 page)

Serves 4

PREP TIME:

15 minutes, plus

40 minutes to make the cornbread

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

1 hour, including making the cornbread

MAKE AHEAD:

Partially

Quick Hollandaise Sauce

½ cup/115 g unsalted butter, diced

3 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ to ½ tsp cayenne (more for a spicier accent)

Poached Eggs

2 to 3 tbsp cider or white vinegar

4 eggs

4 wedges
Sausage-Studded Cornbread

2 ripe tomatoes, sliced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

COOKING TIP:

The cornbread recipe makes enough to serve 8. If you want to double this recipe, it is easy to make a double batch of hollandaise and poach additional eggs.

1. For the Quick Hollandaise Sauce: Heat the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat until foaming hot. Pour into a measuring cup with a spout. Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne in a food processor and process for 5 to 10 seconds to blend. Then, with the processor running, slowly add about 2 tbsp of the melted butter through the feed tube. (Most processors have a small hole in the bottom of the feed tube that will dispense liquids in a thin stream.) Repeat, adding 2 tbsp of butter at a time, until all has been incorporated and the sauce is thick and creamy. Pour the sauce into a heatproof bowl and place it in a shallow pan of barely simmering water.

2. For the poached eggs: Bring a large frying pan filled halfway with water to a boil. Add the vinegar and gently break each egg into a saucer and slide it into the water. Swirl the water with a wooden spoon while the eggs are cooking. Cook until the eggs are just set but the yolks are still soft, 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well. (If you have an egg poacher, cook according to the manufacturer’s directions until eggs are set.)

3. Halve each cornbread wedge crosswise and arrange slightly overlapping on each of four dinner plates. Top the cornbread with 2 or 3 tomato slices and then with a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle warm hollandaise over each, garnish with chives, and serve.

Best-Ever Scrambled Eggs

What makes these eggs different from the usual scrambled varieties are the little pieces of cream cheese that are stirred into the beaten mixture. When the eggs are cooked, these creamy morsels melt, imparting a smooth, silky texture to the finished dish. I’ve served these eggs countless times to guests, and without fail someone always comments on their creaminess.

Serves 4

TIME:

5 minutes, or

10 minutes if doing

one of the variations

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

15 minutes, or

25 minutes if doing

one of the variations

MAKE AHEAD:

No

8 eggs

4
OZ
/115 g cream cheese at room temperature, cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces

1 ½ tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter

1. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs just to blend. Add the cream cheese and half of the parsley, and season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Stir to mix.

2. Melt the butter in a large, nonstick frying pan set over medium heat. When butter has melted and is hot but not smoking, swirl it to cover the bottom of the pan and then add the egg mixture. With a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula, stir the eggs slowly until they just hold together and are cooked through, 2 ½ to 4 minutes. The eggs should still be moist and glistening.

3. Transfer to a serving platter and season with a few grinds of pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.

VARIATIONS:

S
MOKED
T
ROUT
, G
REEN
O
NIONS, AND
D
ILL

To the egg mixture, add 4 to 5
OZ
/115 to 140 g smoked trout (skin removed and flesh broken into small pieces) and ¼ cup/20 g chopped green onions. Replace the parsley with 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill. Cook as directed and, when done, garnish with ½ tbsp of additional chopped dill and a few grinds of pepper.

S
AUSAGE AND
T
HYME

Sauté 4
OZ
/115 g regular or turkey kielbasa or other mild, firm smoked sausage (cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces) in 1 tbsp melted butter in a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat until lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add ¼ cup/20 g chopped green onions and 2 tsp dried thyme; cook 1 minute more. Remove to a plate and cool slightly.

To the egg mixture, add 1 tbsp coarse-grain mustard and omit the parsley. Stir in the sausage mixture. Cook as directed and, when done, garnish, if desired, with some fresh thyme sprigs.

Herbed Scrambled Eggs Nestled in Broiled Portobellos

The first time I served this dish at a brunch, my guests loved the look and taste of eggs seasoned with rosemary and set atop broiled portobello mushrooms. Although this entrée looks as if it might be difficult to prepare, it’s actually quite easy. Extra-creamy scrambled eggs are mounded in each scooped-out mushroom cap and dusted with grated Parmesan.

Serves 6

PREP TIME:

20 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

40 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

Partially

6 large portobello mushrooms, 4 to 5 in/10 to 12 cm in diameter

3 tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

12 eggs

4 tbsp/30 g grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ tsp minced fresh rosemary, plus 6 rosemary sprigs for garnish

6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter

1. Arrange a rack 4 to 5 in/10 to 12 cm from the broiler and preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

2. Remove and discard the mushroom stems. Scoop out and discard the tough inside centers where the stems were attached. Brush both sides of the mushrooms generously with the olive oil. Place the mushrooms, dark-gill-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with the garlic, and then season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Broil the mushrooms until they begin to soften, 5 minutes. Then turn them over and broil until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 7 minutes longer. (The mushrooms can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Leave at room temperature. Reheat in a preheated 350-degree-F/180-degree-C/gas-4 oven for about 10 minutes.)

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 2 tbsp of the cheese, the minced rosemary, ¾ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Melt 5 tbsp/70 g of the butter in a large, nonstick frying pan set over medium heat. When the butter has melted and is hot but not smoking, swirl it to cover the bottom of the pan and then add the egg mixture. With a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula, stir the eggs slowly until they just hold together and are cooked through, 2 ½ to 4 minutes. The eggs should still be moist and glistening. Dot the eggs with the remaining 1 tbsp butter.

5. Serve the hot portobellos, gill-side up, on six plates. Divide the eggs evenly on top of the mushrooms and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Pan-Fried Eggs and Mixed Mushroom Sauté on Toasted Sourdough Slices

This glorious egg dish calls for multitasking, so it’s best served to a small group. However, with a little organization, you can streamline the cooking and dazzle everyone at the table. The mushrooms, which include both fresh and dried varieties, can be sautéed a day ahead and reheated at serving time. The bread slices can be quickly browned in a large frying pan and covered in foil. Finally, frying the eggs just until their yolks are soft and runny takes only about 3 minutes. All that is left then is a quick assembly.

Serves 4

PREP TIME:

25 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

50 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

Partially

Mushroom Sauté

1 ¼
OZ
/35 g mixed dried mushrooms (see
market note
)

1 ½ cups/360 ml boiling water

3 tbsp olive oil

8
OZ
/225 g sliced brown mushrooms

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried crushed rosemary (see
cooking tip
)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Toast and Eggs

Four ½-in-/12-mm-thick sourdough slices, halved if the slices are extra large

Olive oil

2 tbsp unsalted butter

4 eggs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Rosemary sprigs for garnish, optional

1. For the Mushroom Sauté: Place the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let stand until softened, 20 minutes. Strain in a sieve lined with a double thickness of paper towels and reserve the soaking liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, add the brown mushrooms and sauté, stirring often, for 6 minutes. Add the reserved mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and ½ tsp salt; stir for 1 minute. Add the mushroom liquid and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated, 4 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and several grinds of pepper. Remove the frying pan from the heat and cover with foil to keep warm. (The mushrooms can be prepared 1 day ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat, stirring, over medium heat.)

3. For the toast and eggs: Brush both sides of the bread slices generously with olive oil. Set a 10- to 11-in/25- to 28-cm nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, and, when hot, add the bread and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the toast and cover loosely with foil. When pan is cool enough to handle, wipe it out with clean paper towels.

4. Add the butter to the frying pan and set it over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, break an egg into a saucer, being careful to remove any shell fragments, and gently slide it into the frying pan. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook, basting the eggs with some of the butter in the pan frequently, until the whites are firm and the yolks are still soft and runny, 3 minutes.

5. While the eggs are cooking, arrange a toasted bread slice on each of four plates. Mound the mushrooms evenly over the toast.

6. Remove each egg with a spatula and arrange on top of the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and, if desired, garnish each serving with a rosemary sprig. Serve immediately.

MARKET NOTE:

Whole Foods sells a nice blend of mixed dried mushrooms. If unavailable, you can use all dried porcini.

COOKING TIP:

If you can’t find dried crushed rosemary, crush regular dried rosemary in an electric spice mill, or place it in a self-sealing plastic bag and roll over it with a rolling pin.

Eggs Baked with Crème Fraîche, Crab, and Tarragon

In a small Paris café one warm summer day, I ordered an “oeuf en cocotte au crabe et l’estragon,” which translates as “an egg in a dish with crab and tarragon.” I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after my first bite, I was in heaven. The chef had baked an egg in a small gratin pan, and then topped it with fresh crab, crème fraîche, and a sprinkling of fresh tarragon. This dish included only four major ingredients, but they were magical together. A basket of lightly toasted country bread accompanied my “oeuf,” and I used it to sop up the delicious residue in the pan.