THE BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH ONE

Hash Browns but make it fashion.

MENU TO SERVE 6 - 8 PEOPLE VERY GENEROUSLY

• HOMEMADE HASH BROWNS

• SAUSAGE SUGO PANINIS

• HALLOUMI WITH PEPPERS AND MINT

• ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH SHICHIMI TOGARASHI

• POACHED EGGS WITH BREAKFAST LENTILS

• BANANA SCONES WITH CLOTTED CREAM AND APRICOT JAM

COCKTAILS

• AGUACHILE MARY

• PIMMOSAS 

Brunch at home is a bit of a sacred weekend ritual for me. I started doing it regularly in lockdown because I needed some way of making Saturdays and Sundays different from the rest of the week, and now it is something I really cherish. What I love about brunch is the opportunity it offers to be creative. You aren’t constrained by starters, mains and puddings and you can play around with those standard breakfast/brunch foods (eggs, sausages, fruit) and create a buffet of treats without having to be held to a cuisine. This is where my own, very particular self imposed “food rules” come into play. The easiest way to explain it is that I will rarely deviate from a cuisine or style of a cuisine over a menu. If I want to do one dish that is broadly Italian, then all of the other dishes I will do will also follow an Italian style. Similarly with Middle Eastern or Mexican or anything… if the menu has a “feel” then I will almost always follow that feeling. But not with brunch. I think the fact that it is a fairly recent addition to the mealtimes canon; it was coined by British writer Guy Beringer in the late 1800s, and therefore has a much more open definition that is still evolving. I also have to wonder if there’s something about relaxed morning cooking on an empty stomach. You are unbridled, unbound by things you’ve already done or already eaten and you are following your cravings, but with flair. The world is your oyster, and in fact oysters for brunch are GREAT, especially with a fiery Bloody Mary. All this to say, I love brunch because it opens me and my cooking right up. 

I also ADORE having people over for brunch. In the same way that your cooking is a little bit expanded in the morning, I think people are too. If you’ve got a brunch in the diary you know you’re at the very least going to get a good morning feed and that knowledge is very relaxing in itself. Add in some tasty cocktails, lots of laughs and none of the rest of the day's inevitable stressors because they haven’t happened yet, it’s just a great time to get people. Of course, the longer days we have at this time of year play their part, not to mention the endless bank holidays we are having here in the UK. 

SO. When dreaming up this menu I wanted dishes that were obviously easy and delicious but that were also exciting and dynamic. People coming to this brunch will be expecting the usual suspects and they will get them, but in a delightfully unexpected fashion. Most of the dishes on this menu have at least one element that can be made ahead or one element that is ready made and they are all super easy. I’ve intended this to be a Brunch Buffet so people can just dip back in and out, but if only one or two things take your fancy then just go with those. I’ve even included a little guide on how to poach eggs in advance and reheat them too, which is invaluable for not being chained to the stove while all your guests drink you dry. Speaking of which, there are a couple of killer cocktails for those of us who like their brunches boozy. Right. Ready, steady, BRUNCH. 

HOMEMADE HASH BROWNS

A brunch, nor a hangover for that matter, is not complete without hash browns. I rate the ready-made, frozen ones VERY highly so no shame in buying those, however I have always wanted to try my hand at making them too and boy I am glad I did. It’s actually a lot easier than I realised and they are Vegan and Gluten Free too! I wanted mine to taste like the excellent ones available at Mcdonalds so I’ve added a few flavourings which do the trick, but you can jazz these up with whatever spices you like.

Makes 16 hash browns 

• 1kg baking potatoes

• 3 tbsps potato starch

• ½ tsp white pepper

• 1 tsp onion granules

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp fine salt 

• 500ml vegetable oil, to fry

Peel and roughly chop your potatoes as if you were going to make mash or roasties. Put them in a pan and cover them with plenty of cold water. Season the water with salt and then bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes. The potatoes will be a bit firm but almost cooked. Drain them well and leave to cool for 5 minutes. 

Then tip half of your still relatively hot potatoes onto your chopping board and use a big knife to chop them up. You want them to be fairly finely chopped, but some will smush and that’s fine. Aim for the pieces to be roughly the size of lentils. Tip the chopped potato into a bowl and repeat with the second half. Mix the potato starch, white pepper, onion, garlic and salt together and then fold this into the potatoes, mixing well but not vigorously or you will make it gluey. The mix will become a sort of chunky dough. Dust a clean surface with a bit of potato starch and then tip out the dough. Shape your mix into a rectangle that is roughly 2cm - 3cm thick and then cut it into 8 rough squares. Cut the squares into triangles, then use a bench scraper or spatula to lift them onto a couple of trays lined with baking paper. Chill the hash browns for 30 minutes at least in the fridge before frying.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan to 170 degrees - you don’t want it to be too hot as then the hash browns will cook too quickly to properly crisp. When the oil is hot, carefully lay in 4 hash browns at a time (you can do this in two pans to save time or one large fryer). Cook the hash browns for around 3 - 4 minutes a side, until golden and crunchy, then briefly drain on kitchen paper and then on a rack. While you are cooking one tray, keep the other tray in the fridge until needed. When all the hash browns are cooked you can reheat them in the oven at 180 for 10 - 12 minutes before serving. 

MAKE AHEAD - 

• You can make, chill and fry the hash browns up to 24 hours ahead, or even make and chill them and keep in the fridge for 24 hours before frying. 

• Store your fried hash browns in an airtight container lined with kitchen paper in the fridge. 

SUBSTITUTIONS -

• Feel free to use different dried herbs and spices here - smoked paprika, cajun seasoning, dried rosemary or mint, chilli powder, curry powder or cumin seeds would all be so good!

SAUSAGE SUGO PANINIS

One of the things my partner and I argue the most about is whether sausages or bacon are the most essential meat element of a fry up. I am 1000% team sausage and am a particular fan of a sausage sandwich. These are a little bit more zhushy than your average sausage sando but are very easy to make and a great offering on a brunch buffet. This sausage sugo works just as well with pasta if you were wondering. You can also make these a “build-your-own” option if you prefer, with extra toppings to boot.

• 6 large Italian sausages, skins removed and broken up into 18 rough meatballs

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

• 400ml passata 

• A small bunch of basil

• 40g parmesan, grated

• 2 tbsp soft butter

• 6 brioche buns (or similar)

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying and then add in the sausage balls. Fry them on a high heat, turning them often until they are lightly sealed on all sides. Then add the garlic and chilli flakes and fry for 30 seconds or so before pouring in the passata. If you are using Italian sausages they tend to be on the salty side so don’t season your sauce yet. 

Bring the sugo up to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes on a low heat. Set aside until needed. 

To build the paninis, reheat the sausage sugo making sure the meatballs are piping hot. Preheat your grill and slice all your buns in half. Toast the buns on both sides under the grill until golden - keep an eye on them! Spread the bases (and the tops if you’re being thorough) with butter. Pile 3 meatballs and a couple of tablespoons of sauce into each bun, then sprinkle over some cheese and top with a couple of basil leaves before putting on their lids. I like to stuff a hash brown in there too. 

MAKE AHEAD - 

• The sugo can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge until needed.

SUBSTITUTIONS - 

• If you can’t get hold of Italian sausages then high quality butchers sausages will be fine. Add a pinch of fennel seeds for a little spice to the sauce. 

• Equally use veggie or vegan sausages here but half the time in the sauce or they may break apart. 

• Extra toppings could include chopped chilli, fried onions, burrata or mozzarella, fried egg of course or a few crispy fried capers.

HALLOUMI WITH PEPPERS AND MINT

I can’t believe this is halloumi’s first outing on The Dinner Party but here we are! This cheese is just so DAMN VERSATILE, not to mention addictively delicious. Having been heavily influenced by Meliz Berg using it in a lot of her divine Turkish brunch spreads, I knew it needed a place in this menu. Fried until crunchy and enrobed in soft peppers, garlic and plenty of dried and fresh mint, this is a divine sharing dish or even a panini filling for those who can’t eat the sausage ones. If you’re vegan, do fried wedges of smoked tofu instead - glorious. 

• 2 tbsps olive oil

• 2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced

• 2 yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced

• 2 green peppers, deseeded and sliced

• 1 red onion, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

• ½ tsp cumin

• 2 tbsps dried mint

• 3 blocks of halloumi, halved lengthways and left to dry in between sheets of kitchen paper

• A small handful of dill, roughly chopped

• A small handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped

Pop a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat and add the oil and then the peppers. Fry them, stirring often, for around 10 - 15 minutes before adding the onion, garlic, cumin and a pinch of salt. They will become quite steamy and wet at first but then will start to caramelise. Give the onion and garlic around 10 more minutes with the peppers and then stir in the dried mint before tipping them onto your chosen plate or platter, or setting aside if you are making this part ahead. Return the pan to the stove, turn it down to a medium heat and add a dribble more oil. Lay in the halloumi pieces and let them fry gently on both sides until a lovely golden and crisp - around 8 minutes. Take the fried halloumi and pile it onto the peppers, topping it with the dill and mint.

MAKE AHEAD - 

• You can make the fried peppers up to 3 days ahead and simply reheat before serving with the fried halloumi.

SUBSTITUTIONS - 

• The minty peppers would work with baked feta (180, 15 minutes) or with room temperature mozzarella and burrata too.  

• Use tofu or tempeh if you want a plant based version.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH SHICHIMI TOGARASHI

If halloumi is a brunch cheese then asparagus is a brunch vegetable - I can’t explain it but it just is. For my buffet I want a heaping bowl of it tossed in something salty and spicy, especially to go with the richer things on the table like the lentils and eggs. Asparagus is absolutely delicious roasted and takes no time at all. I love it with the kick of shichimi togarashi - a Japanese blend of hot dried chilli, dried seaweed, sesame seeds, citrus and other good things. 

• 750g asparagus, hard ends trimmed off

• 3 tbsps olive oil

• A decent pinch of salt and pepper

• 2 tsps shichimi togarashi

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Spread the asparagus out over a large baking tray and coat with the oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 10 - 12 minutes, removing any really thin stems first and letting the thicker ones cook longer. Still hot from the oven, sprinkle over the togarashi and pile onto a plate. Serve immediately.

MAKE AHEAD - 

• Do this up to an hour before but ideally as close to eating as possible! 

SUBSTITUTIONS - 

• If you can’t get hold of shichimi togarashi then use dried chilli flakes, toasted sesame seeds and crushed dried nori sheets or make your own!

• OR if you prefer use other spice blends - furikake, Old Bay, Tajin, dukkah, Ras-el-hanout, panch phoran to name a few.

POACHED EGGS WITH BREAKFAST LENTILS 

These lentils are inspired by the Indian dish Khichdi, a spiced lentil and rice stew often served at breakfast. Khichdi was in fact the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish Kedgeree which is a brunch classic. These echo the ease and comfort of creamy Khichdi but for brunch are topped with poached eggs and something a little spicy. This is a lovely, soothing dish that I would happily eat for any meal throughout the day to be honest. Poaching eggs can be intimidating, so if you aren’t up for it go with fried or soft boiled instead. You do need fresh eggs for best results. 

For the lentils

• 200g red split lentils

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tsps turmeric

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 800ml water

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tbsps coconut cream or double cream

• 6 medium eggs

• 2 tbsps white vinegar

To garnish

• 100ml coconut cream

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• A small handful of coriander, roughly chopped

• 1 red chilli, sliced 

To make the lentils, put them in a saucepan, cover with the water and place on a medium heat. Add the bay leaves, spices and salt and stir them in. Bring the mix to the boil, then turn down and leave to simmer gently for around 20 - 25 minutes. The lentils will cook and soften into a lovely, porridge-like consistency. Set aside until needed.

For the eggs I like to fill a medium sized saucepan with water and bring it to a gentle simmer. I find the deeper the water in the pan, the better the results, as the egg is shaped by itself falling through the hot water when you add it in. I like to add the vinegar to the water to help set the white. Crack your eggs into a little bowl before you put them into the water so you avoid accidentally poaching a broken yolk. Prepare a deep boil of iced water for your cooked eggs. When the water is at a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil but not still, carefully but decisively tip the egg into the water - the yolk is heaviest so will naturally fall first, so if you hesitate then not enough white will fall with it and it will cook too quickly. Now set a timer for 3 minutes - I usually do 2 eggs at a time and set the timer after the second one is in. The eggs will set and then naturally start to move around in the pan gently with the water, turn it down if it is getting too frantic though. After 3 minutes use a slotted spoon to gently remove the eggs and transfer them straight into the iced water. The water should be deep enough that the eggs are suspended and not sitting on a base - this could cause them to burst. Continue until you have poached all your eggs and then leave them in the cold water until you need them. Refill your poaching pan with clean water and keep it warm.

Stir the coconut cream into the cooked lentils, and then also mix the rest of the coconut cream with the harissa and set aside, along with your prepared coriander and chilli. 

When you are ready to serve, reheat the lentils and bring the pan of water back up to steaming but not boiling, then remove from the heat. Carefully drop the poached eggs back into the steaming water for 1 minute only, no more! Then transfer them to kitchen paper briefly. Pour the lentils into your serving dishes, top with the hot eggs and then drizzle the harissa coconut cream on top. Scatter over the coriander and chilli and serve immediately. 

MAKE AHEAD - 

• The lentils can be made up to 3 days ahead, kept in the fridge and then reheated when needed. 

• You can poach the eggs up to 3 hours before you serve them and keep them in water before reheating them. 

SUBSTITUTIONS - 

• If poached eggs are a step too far do fried or fudgy boiled eggs instead. 

• For plant based guests a few slices of roasted aubergine or fried mushrooms are lovely on top of this drizzled in the harissa coconut cream. 

BANANA SCONES WITH CLOTTED CREAM AND APRICOT JAM

I was lucky enough to try my friend Esther Clark delicious Cinnamon Scones recently from her book The Modern Spice Rack, at a brunch celebrating its launch. I realised whilst stuffing my face with scone that they are a SERIOUSLY overlooked brunch food and they were a must for this menu. Scones by design require a very low-key, hands off dough, a bit like everyone’s favourite Banana bread. So I decided to combine the two for a lovely, light yet indulgent brunch scone. I love serving these with clotted cream and apricot jam but honestly simply toasted and buttered is fantastic too. As with banana bread you want to use very ripe bananas for these. I like to add a pinch of cloves to really amp up the banana flavour, something that I was taught by my brilliant friend and incredible baker Holly Cochrane.

For the scones

• 300g self raising flour, plus extra for dusting.

• 100g unsalted butter, diced into 2cm chunks

• 2 ripe, medium-sized bananas, broken into 5 pieces

• 100ml buttermilk

• 70g caster sugar

• ½ tsp baking powder

• Pinch ground cloves

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 - 2 tbsps demerara sugar

• 225g clotted cream

• Apricot jam

Put your diced butter in the freezer for 15 minutes while you weigh everything else up and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and spices in a large bowl. Take the butter out of the freezer and add it to the bowl along with the banana chunks. Use your hands to squish the banana and butter chunks into the flower. You are not looking for breadcrumbs here - you just want to rub the butter into the flour so it is in smaller but still visible shards and you want the banana to break down into smaller pieces too. I do this in the flour so that it doesn’t disintegrate completely and become liquid as a banana tends to do when mashed. Add in the buttermilk and stir it in using a butter knife until a very rough shaggy mix is formed. Lightly flour a clean surface and tip the mix onto it - it will still have lots of dry floury bits but don’t worry! Use your hands to bring it together into a rough rectangle shape, then use a dough scraper to fold one half of the rectangle over onto the other. It will be messy but don’t worry - that’s the point. Press it into a rectangle and fold again. Repeat this 2 more times after that and you will find you have a much more cohesive, if slightly sticky dough. Shape it into a rectangle that is roughly 26cm by 15 cm and then divide it into 6 rough squares. Use your scraper or a large spatula to place the scones onto your baking tray, then transfer it to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes minimum. Clean up and preheat the oven to 200 fan. 

When your scones have chilled, remove them from the fridge and brush their tops with the beaten egg, then sprinkle over the demerara sugar. Bake in the hot oven for 15 - 18 minutes (allow for a minute or two extra if they have been in the fridge for longer than 1 hour) until golden and puffed. Leave to cool for 5 minutes on a tray before moving to a cooling rack. 

Serve the scones warm or reheated with plenty of cream and jam. 

MAKE AHEAD -

• The scone dough can be made, cut and chilled for up to 2 hours before cooking. 

• The scones will keep covered at room temperature for 2 days, just reheat or toast before serving.

SUBSTITUTIONS - 

• Use any jam you like! Or serve with lots of butter and honey or even marmalade.

AGUACHILE MARY

This drink won’t be for everyone, especially if you are not into deeply savoury cocktails like I am or if you hate coriander. Aguachile is a type of ceviche marinade made with blended green chillies, coriander and lots of lime. I have long thought it would work as a sort of green Bloody Mary and I am thrilled I tried it because it definitely does, even if it is not for the faint hearted. This is best made in a nutri bullet and makes roughly 4 cocktails with lots of ice. 

• 1 or 2 jalapeños or green chillies, deseeded depending on how spicy you want it, plus extra for garnish

• 1 small cucumber, peeled and chunked

• 20g fresh coriander

• Juice and zest of 1 lime

• 1 small stick of celery

• 3 tbsps water

• 1 tsp caster sugar

• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

• A pinch of salt to taste

• 200ml vodka, chilled

• 2 tbsps Tajín seasoning

Place the jalapeños, cucumber, coriander, lime zest and juice, celery, water, sugar, worcestershire sauce in a bullet blender and blitz until smooth. Check the seasoning and add a little more salt or spice if necessary. Rub the rims of 4 tumblers with juiced lime halves. Pop the tajín on a plate and dip the rims of the glasses in it. Pop a few large ice cubes in your glass and a measure of 50ml vodka per person. Pour over the aguachile mix, pop a piece of jalapeño on the rim and serve immediately. 

PIMMOSAS

I mean, Pimms is truly a great drink and fabulous for brunches, but so are Mimosas. And so, the Pimmosa was born! A bright strawberry puree mixed with citrus and Pimms and then topped off with Prosecco, this is a drink that feels both grown up and deeply adolescent in the best way. 

Makes 6 - 8 flutes

• 400g ripe strawberries, hulled 

• Zest of a lemon

• Juice of an orange

• 120ml Pimms

• 400ml Prosecco, chilled

• Mint sprigs, cucumber slices and 1 or 2 extra strawberries to serve

Pop the strawberries in a blender with the lemon zest and orange juice. If your strawberries are a bit tart, add 1 tbsp caster sugar. Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve to get rid of any seeds. Mix the strawberry puree with the Pimms in a jug. Half fill your flutes with the chilled Prosecco, then top off with the strawberry Pimms mix. Garnish with mint sprigs and some sliced strawberries and cucumber.

TIMEPLAN 

This first plan should help you see what you can get done in advance, so that for each course on the day you have at least 1, maybe 2 major parts of it taken care of. I appreciate that not everyone’s weeks are easily peppered with dinner party prep, but if you’re hosting after work or on a day where you can’t be in the kitchen, getting ahead is going to save your arse.

MISE-EN-PLACE

This is the fancy name we give to the food prep each section in the restaurant needs to do for their dishes. Hopefully breaking down each dish like this will help you feel organised. 

Use the hour before your guests arrive to organise your space too- I find it helpful to group ingredients by dish so it is all in the same place. Little ramekins are really useful for this.

STYLING

I treated myself to a couple of new linen tablecloths recently (I’m ashamed to say I cut my last one up to strain jelly through it am I ok?!?!?) and wow am I glad I did. Here’s where I got them.

HOMEMADE HASH BROWNS

Often considered to be very basic, very processed and very not chic, it feels important that we make sure everyone knows these hash browns are the stars of this brunch. I love to pile them on an elegant platter or even a cake stand. 

SAUSAGE MEATBALL PANINIS

It’s totally up to you whether you make these up for your guests or you leave them to it themselves. Either way a rich tomato red looks fab against blue, green and white plates. I like these in their buns already dripping onto the plate in piles, or if you want use scrunched up brown baking paper to line a tray or board for a rustic look.

HALLOUMI WITH PEPPERS AND MINT

For optimal buffet speed, in most cases I think it is best when there is an obvious “portion per person” ready to do. So here, the slabs of halloumi like tiles of a mosaic are perfectly surrounded by the colourful peppers in a sort of pseudo retro way, ready for people to grab theirs. The rainbow colours here are great with deep blues or yellows.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH SHICHIMI TOGARASHI

I love to play with height on a buffet, so make a pile of these on a standing bowl or plate for a little drama. The greens and red here go with pale beiges or oatmeals with accents of colour.

POACHED EGGS WITH BREAKFAST LENTILS

Pop the lentils in a couple of vintage bowls - pale blues are fab with the bright yellow lentils. Top with the eggs and garnish and make sure you have a spoon rest for your serving spoons - the lentils are laced with staining turmeric. 

BANANA SCONES WITH CLOTTED CREAM AND APRICOT JAM

A pile of these on any plate or board would look incredibly inviting. I strongly suggest spooning the clotted cream onto a plate - nothing ruins a tablescape like a plastic tub. The jam can stay in the jar though - jars are cute!