bank hol cooking.
Brunch time
May’s duo of bank holiday weekends, not to mention the half term break, lend themselves to a leisurely brunch at some point. Choose one of these crowd-pleasing creations for your mid-morning centrepiece
The big breakfast tart (aka ‘tablerunner tart’)
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING POLLYANNA COUPLAND PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON
Cacio e pepe hash brown breakfast casserole
What a spread! The salmon is cured using flavours taken from the classic brunch cocktail, bloody mary: celery seeds, black pepper, lemon zest, horseradish and vodka. It’s then served with tangy Tabasco pickles and creamy soft-boiled eggs with dipping salt, plus Worcestershire sauce butter for spreading on good bread
Bloody mary cured salmon with Tabasco pickled cucumber and soft-boiled eggs
Bloody mary cured salmon with Tabasco pickled cucumber and soft-boiled eggs
Serves 10
Prep time 30 min, plus 24-48 hours curing and 1 hour pickling
Specialist kit Butter mould (optional)
MAKE AHEAD
This is a dream brunch as you need to make the salmon 1-2days ahead, and the butter can be made the day before. On the day, you just need to start the pickles 1 hour before serving and cook the eggs.
BE A BETTER COOK
Curing fish by burying it in salt draws out moisture, so bacteria is unable to grow and the fish won’t spoil. It also changes the texture of the fish and seasons it.
The vodka isn’t added for its flavour. Rather, it helps unlock flavour compounds in the spices, resulting in a more fragrant cure.