Sunday Brunch (4 page)

Serves 4

PREP TIME:

10 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

20 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

No

½ cup/120 ml crème fraîche

½ tbsp unsalted butter

4 eggs, preferably large or extra large

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4
OZ
/115 g fresh crabmeat, picked over and brought to room temperature for 30 minutes (see
market note
)

4 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Four crème brûlée or four small individual gratin dishes, about 5 in/12 cm in diameter.

COOKING TIP:

Crème fraîche, a thick cream used in French cooking, is available in the dairy section of many supermarkets.

MARKET NOTE:

The success of this dish depends on using fresh crabmeat. Canned pasteurized crab will not produce the same bright flavor.

1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C/gas 4.

2. Place the crème fraîche in a small saucepan and set over low heat just to liquefy, 1 minute or less. Set aside.

3. Generously butter the baking dishes. Break an egg into each dish, and then place the dishes on the center rack and bake until the white of each egg is firm and the yolk is thickened (but still runny), 8 to 12 minutes. Start checking the eggs at 8 minutes. Watch carefully and, when done, remove from the oven. (Note: Although the eggs are cooked in this recipe, the yolks are still soft. Children, the elderly, or those with immune deficiencies might want to avoid eggs with yolks that are slightly undercooked.)

4. Season each egg with salt and pepper. Sprinkle some fresh crab in a ring around each yolk, and then spoon 2 tbsp crème fraîche over the crab. Garnish each with a sprinkle of tarragon. Serve immediately.

Potato and Arugula Omelets

Sautéed diced potatoes, some grated Gruyère, and an abundance of coarsely chopped arugula combine to make a nutty and peppery filling for omelets. Since the arugula is cooked only a few seconds, it retains its bright green hue and adds a bit of texture. Have all the ingredients for the filling ready before you start to make the omelets, and then count on less than 5 minutes from start to finish for each one. And try the variations!

Serves 2

PREP TIME:

15 minutes (Time is about the same for variations)

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

35 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

No

2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter

½ tbsp olive oil

4
OZ
/115 g red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, cut into ½-in/12-mm cubes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 eggs

tsp cayenne pepper

8 cups/120 g arugula, stems discarded and leaves cleaned, dried, and coarsely chopped (see
market note
)

½ tbsp balsamic vinegar

6 tbsp/30 g grated Gruyère cheese

1. Heat ½ tbsp of the butter and the olive oil in a medium, heavy frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, add the potatoes and sauté, stirring often, until light golden and tender, 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. (The potatoes can be prepared 1 hour ahead; leave at room temperature. Reheat, stirring, over medium heat.)

2. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl and season with a good pinch of salt and the cayenne. Place the arugula in another mixing bowl and toss with the vinegar. Place the Gruyère and the potatoes each in separate bowls. Have ready a ladle for adding the egg mixture to the pan.

3. Add 1 tbsp butter to a 9-in/23-cm frying pan, preferably nonstick or seasoned cast iron, set over medium heat. Swirl the butter so that it coats the bottom of the pan. When it is hot but not smoking, ladle half of the eggs into the pan and stir with the back of a fork until they start to set but are still quite liquid on the top, 30 to 40 seconds. With the fork or a nonstick spatula, lift an edge of the omelet and tilt the pan to let some of the uncooked egg mixture run underneath. Repeat this two or three more times, working your way around the pan until the eggs are cooked but remain moist on top.

4. Sprinkle half of the potatoes, then half of the cheese, and finally half of the arugula over the eggs. Let the mixture cook until the cheese begins to melt and the arugula wilts only slightly, 30 seconds. Using a nonstick or metal spatula, fold the omelet in half and slide it onto a plate. Repeat to make another omelet.

5. Serve each omelet as soon as it is prepared (see
cooking tip
).

MARKET NOTE:

You can use regular or baby arugula, but the former provides a more intense flavor.

COOKING TIP:

If you are increasing this recipe and want to serve everyone at the same time, you can slide the finished omelets onto a baking sheet and keep them warm in a low (200 degrees F/95 degrees C) oven until all are finished. However, I prefer to serve each omelet as it is done, and no one ever seems to mind waiting a few minutes for his or her turn.

TWO OTHER OMELET FILLING VARIATIONS

Each variation makes enough for 2 omelets

A
SPARAGUS
, M
USHROOM, AND
F
ONTINA

½ lb/225 g medium asparagus, tough ends discarded, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces

Kosher salt

3 tbsp olive oil

¼ lb/115 g thinly sliced white or brown mushrooms

½ tsp dried crushed rosemary (see
cooking tip
)

6 tbsp/35 g grated fontina cheese

1. Blanch the asparagus in boiling, salted water to cover, until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When hot, sauté the mushrooms, stirring, until browned, 6 minutes. Stir in the asparagus and rosemary; cook 1 minute more and season with salt.

3. Cook as directed, using half of this mixture as a filling for each omelet along with half the fontina.

T
OMATO
, G
OAT
C
HEESE, AND
M
INT

4
OZ
/115 g tomatoes, unpeeled, seeded, and cut into ½-in/12-mm dice

4 medium green onions, including 2 in/5 cm of green stems, chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Kosher salt

6 tbsp/60 g creamy goat cheese, broken into small pieces

1. Combine the tomatoes, green onions, and mint in a bowl; season lightly with salt.

2. Cook as directed, using half of this mixture as a filling for each omelet along with a sprinkle of half of the goat cheese.

Y
ou could call the recipes in this chapter a brunch cook’s “dream dishes,” since each is easily an all-in-one main course. Rich and satisfying, these entrees take leading roles in a meal and need only simple accompaniments. The recipes include tarts—both an impressive standard-size one as well as individual tartlets—and savory flans, prepared with the usual eggs and cream but enriched with enticing additions, such as Parmesan cheese. Stratas, those popular dishes of the past in which beaten egg mixtures are poured over cubes of toasted bread, are given visual and palate-tempting updates. You’ll also discover savory gratins with tempting flavors.

Some of these one-dish wonders are vegetarian, like the Grape Tomato and Blue Cheese Tart, and the Parmesan Flans with Parmesan Crisps. Others get flavor boosts from shellfish, bacon, or ham. A few would be perfect for holiday celebrations. Try the Spicy Shrimp and Grits for Mardi Gras fetes, and the Gratin of Eggs, Leeks, Bacon, and St. André Cheese, which can be assembled the night before, on Christmas morning.

Serve these scrumptious brunch entrees with a salad of your favorite greens, plus some fresh seasonal fruit or one of the fruit creations from the Fruits for all Seasons chapter, and you’ve got a winning menu.

Gratin of Eggs, Leeks, Bacon, and St. André Cheese

This dish can be assembled the night before, put in the fridge, and popped into the oven the next morning. Toasted French bread, sautéed leeks, crispy fried bacon, and bits of creamy St. André are all combined with a savory mixture of eggs and half-and-half. Since this entree includes the classic breakfast trilogy—bacon, eggs, and toast—you only need to add some fresh fruit to round out the menu.

Serves 6

PREP TIME:

20 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

2 hours, 15 minutes; including 1 hour for the gratin to rest

MAKE AHEAD:

Partially

Unsalted butter, for the baking dish

1 baguette, about 2 ½ to 3 in/6 to 7.5 cm in diameter

6 thick slices (about 6
OZ
/170 g) bacon, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces

2 cups/160 g chopped leeks, white and light green parts (about 4 leeks)

6
OZ
/170 g St. André cheese, well chilled (see
market note
)

6 eggs

2 ½ cups/600 ml half-and-half

½ tsp salt

Generous 2 pinches of cayenne pepper

1 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley or chives

1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C/gas 4. Generously butter a 9-by-13-in/23-by-33-cm baking dish.

2. Cut enough ½-in-/12-mm-thick slices from the baguette to make a single layer in the baking dish. (You’ll probably need between 20 and 24 slices; save any extra slices for another use.) Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and bake without turning until crisp and very lightly colored, 10 minutes. Remove and arrange the slices in the baking dish.

3. In a medium, heavy frying pan set over medium heat, fry the bacon pieces until crisp and browned, 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

4. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the drippings and return the frying pan to medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until just softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the leeks and bacon over the bread slices in the baking dish.