Topic: Breakfast & Brunch

Store-bought granola’s can be quite expensive these days – Why don’t you save your pennies and make your own!

This recipe is packed full of nutrients from the blends of toasted nuts and seeds. Swap your honey with agave syrup for this recipe to be completely vegan-friendly as well.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  3. In a large bowl mix together the oats, nuts and seeds with the cinnamon and Maldon Salt. In a small pan melt together the coconut oil and agave syrup gently. Then pour this over the oats and mix well, making sure everything is evenly coated.
  4. Spread it across the baking tray and place into the oven. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until lightly toasted and golden brown.
  5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before stirring through the coconut flakes.
  6. Add on top of your breakfast porridge, yogurt or even on a salad to add a new level of texture with the delicious crunch of the nuts and seeds!

For this Shakshuka dish, I’m using eggs from my hens, and cooking it over live fire, but this can just as easily be made on the hob at home.

  1. Finely slice a white onion, add a pinch of Maldon Salt and cook until softened.
  2. Add chopped garlic, cloves, smoked paprika, tinned tomatoes, sherry vinegar, pepper and another sprinkle of Maldon Salt.
  3. Reduce the tomatoes slightly. At this point you could also add other veg like chestnut mushrooms or finely chopped courgettes but on this occasion, I’m keeping it simple.
  4. Using the back of a spoon, make small divots in the tomato sauce for the eggs, cover, and leave to cook on the coals or place into the oven until the eggs are cooked.

Homemade jam using foraged fruit is a labour of love. This delicious, sweet spread is made with blackberries that I foraged during the summer and stored in the freezer.

This method of foraging and freezing means that you can enjoy making jam all throughout winter.

  1. Simply mix together your berries, sugar, and lemon juice – pips and all, for a healthy dose of pectin, which will help to bind the jam. Add a pinch of Maldon Salt to enhance the flavour and temper any bitterness. Cook on a low heat, stirring regularly.
  2. Once the fruit has thickened and turned jammy, remove from the heat and add to a sterilized jar.
  3. There’s nothing better than warm jam on toast, so make sure you try a bit before sealing. Delicious.
  1. Start by making the bechamel. Heat the butter in a pan until foaming and then add the plain flour and cook out so it forms a paste and starts to smell toasty, then slowly add the milk whisking between each addition until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. Add the nutmeg and grated cheeses and stir through until melted. Season well with Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper.
  2. Assemble the sandwiches – Start with one slice of sourdough and spread with the mustard then top with turkey meat and stuffing, followed by some cranberry sauce and some of the grated gruyere cheese. Then top with the second piece of sourdough, pressing down so everything is packed in well. Repeat with the second sandwich.
  3. Heat a good knob of butter in a frying pan and then cook the sandwich for about 2 mins on each side until golden brown and the cheese is melting. Then heat up the grill.
  4. Place the sandwiches on a baking tray and spread over the bechamel on the top piece of bread, followed by some more grated gruyere. Place them under the grill until bubbling, melted and lightly golden.
  5. While the sandwiches are grilling, fry the Burford brown eggs. Top the sandwiches with the fried eggs, sprinkle with chopped chives and a final season of Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper. Serve alongside a peppery green salad and some extra mustard.
  1. Heat milk and butter in a pan until butter is melted. Allow to cool slightly until milk is lukewarm. Put the flour into a large mixing bowl with a pinch of Maldon Salt and mix through then add the yeast, sugar and orange zest and mix again.
  2. Make a well in the middle and add the milk, then mix in with the dough hook. Gradually pour in the beaten egg and continue to knead until you have a smooth dough.
  3. Place into lightly greased bowl and cover with clingfilm to prove for 1 hour (doubled in size).
  4. Make the filling by mixing all the ingredients together to form a paste. Set aside.
  5. After your dough has proved, roll out the dough into a large rectangle (30x 40cm) then spread with the filling. Fold the long side in by a third, and then the other side on top of that, like folding a letter. Roll lightly to press the layers together.
  6. Cut into 16 strips long strips. Take each strip and slightly pull and stretch it so it is longer. Then pinch one end between your thumb and middle finger, then wrap it around once, then back around on top in the other direction and then twisting underneath to seal – you are creating a wrapped knot.
  7. Place onto a lined baking tray and cover loosely with cling film and then allow to prove for 30 mins, until they are puffed up. Heat the oven to 175C.
  8. Brush the buns with some egg wash and sprinkle with flaked almonds and sugar crystals then bake for 18-20 mins until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving still warm.
  1. Start by shredding the Brussel sprouts, making sure to remove any tough white parts.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs with the milk, plain flour, baking powder and nigella seeds. Then season well with Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper. Finally stir in the shredded sprouts and ½ the lemon zest.
  3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan with some oil. Then ladle in the pancake mixture and fry them off individually, for a few minutes on each side until slightly risen and golden brown. Keep them warm in a low temperature oven while you cook the rest – the mixture should make 4- 6 pancakes, depending on their size.
  4. Mix the crème fraiche with the horseradish and remaining lemon zest. Season well with Maldon salt and cracked black pepper. Serve alongside the pancakes and some smoked salmon, topped with dill sprigs, lemon wedges and black pepper.

Sweetcorn is sweet and nutty and one of my favourite vegetables. You can’t go wrong with a buttery corn on the cob in the summer but here I’m combining them with courgette and feta, to make the most delicious and moreish fritters. Topped with a crispy egg and a fragrant zhoug butter they make a seriously nice brunch.

  1. Start by making the fritters – grate the courgette and then squeeze out any excess liquid in a tea towel, pop these into a large bowl. Add the sweetcorn, crumbled feta, chopped coriander, 1 beaten egg, self-raising flour and cumin seeds. Mix well to form a batter and season well.
  2. Heat some oil in a pan and spoon in the fritter mix to make patties. Fry them for 3 minutes on each side until golden. Remove and place on a plate in the oven to keep warm.
  3. To make the zhoug butter place chopped coriander, parsley, garlic and green chilli into a food processor. Add some cumin, a good pinch of Maldon Salt, lemon juice and olive oil and blitz until it forms a paste. Next add the softened butter and plenty of seasoning and blitz again. Set aside.
  4. In a small frying pan heat some oil and fry off the eggs, you want the oil to be nice and hot so the edges of the egg go nice and crispy. Once the egg is nearly cooked, add some of the zhoug butter to the pan and baste the egg in it.
  5. Plate up – serve 2 or 3 fritters piled up on a plate with a crispy fried egg and drizzle over the zhoug butter from the frying pan. Sprinkle over some coriander leaves and serve.

Learn how to create the classic Chelsea Bun, infused with the flavours of sweet and spicy from the Chai tea, paired with cardamom to give warmth to the dessert.

Start by making the dough:

  1. In a small pan add the milk and butter and gently heat until the butter is melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly, you want it to be lukewarm. In a stand mixer add the strong white flour, yeast, caster sugar, cardamom, and Maldon salt, mix this together so the sugar and spices are mixed well in the flour. Then make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the beaten egg along with the milk and butter mixture. Then turn the stand mixer onto low and mix. Using the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer, continue to mix and knead the dough for 5 – 10 minutes until smooth, supple and elastic.
  2. Cover the bowl in cling film and leave the bowl in warm place for approximately 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.

While the dough is proving, you can make the filling:

  1. In a large bowl mix together the softened butter with the light brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Grease a 20 x 30cm baking tin with some of the softened butter.
  2. When the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out with your first. Then, tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out till its roughly 30 x 50cm. Leaving a space along one of the long edges to start your rolling, spread the spiced butter filling across the rest of the dough and smooth it out. Then sprinkle evenly across the top of this with the currants and dried cranberries, using your hands to press them in slightly to the dough.
  3. Using the long board you have kept clean, tightly tuck this under and roll the dough until you have a neat spiral with the filling. Once rolled, use a sharp knife to trim off the messy ends, and then cut into 12 equal rolls. Then place the rolls, spiral side up, in the greased baking tin with a 1cm gap between them. Loosely cover the tray with cling film and allow them to prove for a second time in a warm place for 30 minutes until well risen again.

Whilst the buns are proving preheat the oven to 180c.

  1. When the buns have risen and doubled again, they are ready to bake. Place them in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown and baked through. While they are baking, place the 2 tbsp golden caster in a small bowl and add a tbsp of boiling water, stir until the sugar has dissolved and then set aside to cool. Remove from the oven and then brush all over with the caster sugar syrup, then allow the buns to cool.
  2. For the final icing garnish, mix together the icing sugar with the spices. Then add 2 – 3 tbsp of water until it is smooth but with a good drizzle consistency. Place the icing into a small piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe and drizzle the buns with the icing in a zig zag pattern.

What could be any more of a British classic than scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam! This recipe delves into how to create the perfect centre piece for any tea-party…the only debate to be had is if it is cream first or jam.

  1. Line two baking trays with baking paper and preheat the oven to 200c.
  2. Add the flour, sugar, pinch of Maldon salt and baking powder into a food processor and then add the butter in small pieces. Pulse the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs but be careful not to over mix. Alternately if you do not have a food processor you can rub the butter in by hand.
  3. In a small bowl beat together the two eggs and add the whole milk. Slowly add this to the breadcrumb flour mixture, incorporating each time as you may not need all the liquid, until you have a soft dough with no dry patches.
  4. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to make the dough smooth. Then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is roughly 2cm thick.
  5. Use a 6cm fluted cutter to stamp out as many scones as you can, and then place them onto the lined baking trays with a little room between them. Once you are left with the offcuts, you can knead them lightly back together and re roll the dough and repeat the stamping until you have as many as the dough makes (ours made 18).
  6. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk and then place the trays into the preheated oven for 15 minutes. They should be well risen and lightly golden on top. Remove the trays from the oven when baked and allow the scones to cool.
  7. Serve the scones with Rodda’s clotted clean and Tiptree strawberry jam – and a big pot of tea!

Wild garlic is an abundance at this time of year and is very easy to make – it can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or frozen. It is delicious drizzled over meat, fish or vegetables, stirred through pasta or through scrambled eggs.

  1. You can either make your pesto in a food processor or by hand in a pestle and mortar. If using a food processor, simply start by adding your wild garlic and pulsing a few times to break the leaves down. Then add the grated parmesan and hazelnuts and pulse again. Next you can slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it reaches your desired consistency – stop mixing earlier if you like a chunkier texture or keep mixing if you would like it smoother.
  2. Finally add the lemon zest and a pinch of Maldon Salt and stir through. Put into a sterilised jar and it will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or use straight away.