Holiday brunches - by Susie Anderson

Part of the anticipation of a holiday or lazy away-from-it-all weekend is the bliss of being able to enjoy leisurely time at the table with good company and fine food. What could be better than brunch?

Brunch - the perfect meal - whether it is a romantic late breakfast for two, a family gathering or a larger group as part of a weekend away to celebrate a special birthday or anniversary. It is a wonderful way of including all the family as the food can be adapted to every taste and age.

Local Suffolk food appears to have the menu already prepared in abundance. You only have to look and ideas seem to leap out from all around. There are the obvious choices of Suffolk Black Bacon and organic free range eggs. Eggs, milk and cream are often from a farm close to your holiday property or from local markets. There are amazing sausages prepared by independent butchers and luxurious, locally smoked fish. Add some beautiful fresh fruit and freshly baked bread and croissants with local jam and you have a feast.

These ingredients are inspiring by themselves, but with a little planning and one or two simple recipes to hand, brunch can have a little more dash. Beautifully made, slowly cooked, buttery scrambled egg is a perfect accompaniment for smoked salmon, but how about a frittata of caramelised onions and tiny potatoes, served warm in wedges, with smoked salmon dressed with dill vinaigrette.

FRITTATA

1 tablespoon olive oil

20 grms unsalted butter

2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced

600 grms cooked, thickly sliced new potatoes

6 large organic free range eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Small handful chopped parsley

150 grms Gruyere or Emmenthal cheese, grated

Serves 6 – 8, warm or cold

Heat oil and butter in 25-28cm solid heavy based frying pan, which is safe to put under the grill. Add onions and cook over a medium heat, turning often, until caramelised. Add the potatoes and stir around to mix with the onions and heat through. Heat the grill to hot. Beat the eggs with the salt and pepper and add chopped parsley. Pour evenly over the mixture in the pan and leave on low heat for a few minutes until egg mixture is almost set. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top and place under grill to set the eggs and lightly brown the cheese.

DILL VINAIGRETTE

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chopped, fresh dill or more to taste

Place all ingredients in a screw top jar (preferably with a plastic lid) and shake well to amalgamate or whisk well together in a bowl.

To drink, champagne is the obvious choice – who needs an excuse? It is good to serve freshly squeezed orange juice too, but I believe it a crime to serve it in the same glass as fine champagne, better to serve it alongside. Cheap champagne or a good sparkling wine is fine to mix with orange juice for a Buck’s Fizz. A Bellini (fresh peach juice with prosecco or champagne) or prosecco with strained fresh raspberry juice is lovely for a summer brunch in the garden. Bloody or Virgin Mary, served in a big jug, goes well with a hearty brunch of Rosti potato, bacon and eggs. Good coffee, properly made and a selection of teas is essential.

The idea of brunch is that it is leisurely and relaxing and should be so for the cook as well as for those sprawling around with the weekend colour supplements! Therefore it is important to keep the number of choices reasonably small. If you are not confident about cooking a large amount of food that has to come together at the last moment as in the English breakfast style, or are just feeling too relaxed, it inevitably has far more elan to perhaps serve a late breakfast of a beautifully arranged platter of fresh fruit, a selection of panettone, brioche and warm croissants, exotic drink and well made coffee.