FERMENTED MILLET PORRIDGE
Millet is an amazing grass and grain that is highly underestimated nowadays. It is very rich in copper, phosphorus, manganese and magnesium - a veritable mountain of minerals! Serve with sunflower seeds, and a spoonful or two of fermented vegetables or a fermented condiment, and this basic recipe becomes a tasty, satisfying savoury breakfast, packed full of nutrients. Note you'll need to soak the millet for 2-3 days before you can prepare this recipe.
100 g/½cup millet
480 ml/2 cups water
2 tablespoons yogurt whey (the yellowish liquid that sits on top of your yogurt)
½umeboshi plum or ? teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dry-roasted sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon soy sauce
720-ml/24-fl. oz. glass jar
muslin/cheesecloth or paper towel
SERVES 1-2
Put the millet in a sieve/strainer and wash well under running water. Drain and put in the jar. Pour over the water and add 2 tablespoons of whey. Cover with muslin/cheesecloth or a paper towel and fix with a rubber band. Let soak for 2-3 days at room temperature and stir at least once a day. The whey will speed up the fermentation process but it can also be omitted if desired.
Put the soaked millet, together with the soaking water, in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent burning and boiling over. Add the umeboshi plum or salt and simmer, half-covered, for about 20 minutes. Add more hot water during the cooking, if necessary, to get a creamy porridge/oatmeal.
Wash and drain the sunflower seeds (this will prevent them from burning) and dry-roast in a frying pan/skillet over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the seeds start sizzling, at which point they will release their aroma, become golden brown and puff up. Transfer to a bowl and add the soy sauce. Mix until the hot seeds absorb all the soy sauce and become dry and crunchy. Sprinkle the seeds over the warm porridge/oatmeal and serve with the toppings of your choice.
BEETROOT LATKES
with smoked salmon & crème fraîche
Serve this strikingly colourful dish as a satisfying brunch plate. Cool, silky crème fraîche contrasts well with salty smoked salmon and the slightly sweet, earthy-tasting, crisp-textured beet(root) latkes.
150 g/5 oz. raw beet(root)
150 g/5 oz. potatoes, peeled
½red onion, peeled
1 egg, beaten
50 g/½cup medium matzo meal
sunflower oil, for frying
200 g/6½oz. smoked salmon
4 dollops of crème fraîche (see page 12)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
snipped chives, to garnish
baking sheet lined with parchment paper
SERVES 4
Peel the beet(root) and trim off the trailing root. Hold each beet(root) by the stalk end and grate them coarsely. Grate the potato and the red onion.
In a large bowl, mix together the grated beet(root), potato and onion. Add in the egg, matzo meal, salt and pepper to taste and mix together thoroughly to form a thick, sticky mixture.
Preheat the oven to 140°C fan/160°C/325°F/gas 2.
Pour the oil to a depth of 0.5 cm/¼ in. into a heavybottomed frying pan/skillet and heat it up thoroughly.
Fry the latkes in batches. Add 4 separate spoonfuls of the mixture, spaced well apart, to the hot oil, pressing each down lightly with the spoon to spread it out. Fry them for 3 minutes, then flip each one over and fry for a further 2 minutes. Carefully remove the fried latkes from the pan and onto the prepared baking sheet before placing them in the oven to keep warm.
Repeat the process four times, making 12 latkes in all.
Serve the beet(root) latkes with smoked salmon and a dollop of crème fraîche topped with chopped chives.
MAPLE-SESAME BACON & CREAM CHEESE BAGELS
There's no better way to enjoy your homemade cream cheese than on toasted sourdough bagels, topped with deliciously easy maple-sesame bacon.
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
6 rashers/slices smoked streaky bacon
2 sourdough bagels
1 tablespoon maple syrup
100 g/½cup cream cheese (see page 16)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil, for frying
SERVES 2
Heat a large, non-stick frying pan/skillet over a medium heat and add the sesame seeds. Let them toast for 3-4 minutes until golden, then transfer to a small bowl and wipe out the pan.
Heat a small drizzle of oil in the pan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, add the bacon. Let it fry, turning occasionally until deep golden brown and crispy, approximately 7-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, halve and toast the bagels, then leave in the toaster to keep warm.
When the bacon is ready, remove from the heat and add the maple syrup and toasted sesame seeds to the pan. As the syrup sizzles, turn the bacon over a couple of times to coat.
Spread the cream cheese onto the bagels, sprinkle over a pinch of seasoning, top with the bacon. Serve immediately.
SPICY KIMCHI HASH BROWNS
with poached eggs
The fermented kimchi here gives the hash browns crunch and spice. Topped with poached eggs and sprinkled with aromatic herbs, Sunday couldn't get o?to a better start.
10 large Russet potato, washed and grated, skin on
2 garlic cloves, crushed/minced
2 cups/160 g Turmeric & Chilli Kimchi (see page 37) or any store-bought kimchi of your choice
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to serve
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vinegar
a bunch of Thai basil or regular basil, torn
a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, torn
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
hot sauce of your choice, to serve
SERVES 1
Place the grated potato, garlic, and kimchi in a large bowl and mix together. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet/frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil starts to sizzle, add the potato-kimchi mix and brown for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 6-8 minutes. You want the hash browns to be crispy and browned.
Crack the eggs into separate small bowls. Fill a medium skillet/frying pan three-quarters of the way up with water. Add a tablespoon of vinegar and place over medium heat until bubbles start to form in the bottom. Carefully pour the eggs one at a time into the water, making sure they are spaced apart. Cook for 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon, gently shaking off any excess water. Rest on a large plate.
Divide the hash browns between 4 plates or serving skillets (as shown) and top each with an egg. Sprinkle with torn Thai basil and parsley leaves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve with Texan Hot Sauce for a tangy kick.
EGGY BREAD with capers & petit pois
This is a more grown-up savoury version of the sort of 'eggy' bread you might have enjoyed as a child, with a pleasing saltiness from the capers (one of the earliest vegetable ferments to come from the Mediterreanan). As this can be rustled up from storecupboard and freezer ingredients so makes a good healthy and hot brunch with little planning.
2 eggs
30 ml/2 tablespoons whole/full-fat milk
30 g/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 slices sourdough bread
20 g/2 tablespoons capers, drained
100 g/¾ cup frozen petit pois or garden peas
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
SERVES 2
Preheat the oven to 100°C fan/120°C/250°F/Gas ½. Place an ovenproof plate on the bottom shelf of the oven.
Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl with a generous pinch of seasoning. Heat half the butter in a non-stick frying pan/skillet over a medium heat.
Add a slice of bread to the egg bowl and slosh it around so it absorbs some of the egg mixture, then flip it over and slosh around once more.
Once the butter has melted and is gently sizzling in the pan, transfer the eggy bread to the pan and fry for about 3 minutes on each side, until both sides are golden brown and crispy-edged. While the first slice is cooking, place a second piece of bread in the egg bowl to soak.
When the first slice of bread is done, transfer it to the warming plate in the oven and cook the next slice in the same way. Repeat the process until all 4 slices have been cooked. Use the remaining butter as needed.
When the pan is empty, pop the capers and peas straight in, with a small splash of water and twist of pepper. Fry for about 3 minutes, until they're tender and starting to catch a little. As they cook, gently mash them in the pan with the back of a fork. Taste to check for seasoning.
Halve the eggy bread, divide between serving plates, then pile the capers and petit pois on top and serve immediately.
MISO MUSHROOMS ON TOAST
Miso paste has probiotic properties, so it's great for our immune systems, digestion and gut healthy and it's incredibly moreish too. This makes a deliciously umami breakfast and it's a great way to add a bit of life to any limp mushrooms you may have lurking in your fridge. Do use a good bread for this, something with texture like a spelt or rye sourdough works well.
2 slices sourdough bread
1 lemon
400 g/14 oz. mixed mushrooms, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, grated
50 g/1¾ oz. red or white miso...
