RACHEL ALLEN

Every week, only in LIFE

Alovely, lazy weekend brunch is a bit of a novelty in many people’s homes, what with the 90 miles-per-hour lifestyles we all have. Even when I don’t have to give someone a lift to drama, horse riding or sports, there’s still surely someone that needs dropping off or collecting, slap-bang in the middle of the morning. So whenever the opportunity arises, I’ll make the most of the laziest Sunday morning possible — that’ll include a big stack of today’s papers, copious quantities of milky coffee and, of course, something great to eat. With just a few weeks to go until Christmas, our food is starting to show signs of festivity, be it brunch, lunch or supper. Smoked fish, which is available all year round, is something I especially love at this time of the year. The smoked trout bruschetta with tomato, basil and avocado, pictured right, is what I love to eat for brunch. It’s a bit more interesting than the ubiquitous, albeit delicious, avocado on toast, and contains super-nutritious smoked trout, which is a gorgeously festive treat. Add some crispy bacon if you like — and, if you prefer, a handful of roughly chopped coriander will work a treat instead of the torn basil. If you’ve got someone that you want to seriously impress with your culinary prowess, then home-made brioche, right, is the one for you. I can’t think of many lovelier things to enjoy for breakfast in bed, than butter and strawberry jam melting into justbaked brioche, served with steaminghot coffee. And if the brioche doesn’t work, I can almost guarantee that the smoked salmon and kale souffle omelette, far right, certainly will. Eggs feature very regularly chez nous — I can hardly imagine a big breakfast without them. This is not any ordinary omelette, but a light, fluffy and velvety-rich concoction that, incidentally, works at any other time of the day, and, with the addition of iron-loaded kale, you’ll be like a happy, well-fed ninjawarrior for the rest of the day.

SMOKED TROUT BRUSCHETTA WITH TOMATO, BASIL AND AVOCADO (Pictured) Serves 4. You will need:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon creme fraiche Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 avocado, cut into 1cm (less than ½in) cubes 150g (5oz) smoked trout, skinned and broken into chunky flakes 8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered 4 slices of delicious sourdough or white yeast bread, sliced ¾cm (about ¼in) thick 1 clove of garlic, cut in half 8-10 large basil leaves, torn First, make the dressing. In a bowl, mix together the three tablespoons of extravirgin olive oil, the lemon juice and the creme fraiche. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the cubed avocado into the dressing and toss it gently, then add the flakes of smoked trout and the cherry tomatoes.

Put a grill pan (preferably one with ridges) on a high heat. When the pan is very hot, put the pieces of sourdough bread or white yeast bread, whichever you’re using, in a single layer on the pan, and cook them on both sides until darkbrown lines appear. Take the pan off the heat and immediately rub one side of each piece of bread with the cut clove of garlic and drizzle the slices lightly on the same side with some extra-virgin olive oil. Cut the slices of bread in half, if you wish, and put them on serving plates.

Taste the avocado, smoked trout and cherry tomato mixture for seasoning, and add more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary, then add the torn basil.

To serve, spoon a generous heap of the avocado, smoked trout and cherry tomato mixture onto each slice of bruschetta and enjoy straight away.

BRIOCHE

Serves about 12.

You will need:

Melted butter for greasing, if you’re using individual brioche tins 50g (2oz) caster sugar 60ml (2¼fl oz) tepid water 2x7g( ¼oz) sachet fast-acting yeast, or 15g (½oz) dried yeast, or 25g (1oz) fresh yeast 5-6 eggs, beaten 450g (1lb) strong white flour, sifted 1 teaspoon salt 225g (8oz) butter, cubed (I prefer it not chilled for this) You will also need two loaf tins lined with parchment paper, or about 16 individual brioche tins that you’ve brushed with melted butter.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, mix the caster sugar with the tepid water and the fast-acting yeast, or the dried yeast, or the fresh yeast, whichever you’re using. Let it stand for 5 minutes until it is slightly frothy. If you’re using fast-acting yeast, there is no need to let the mixture stand.

Add four of the the beaten eggs, the sifted strong white flour and the salt and mix to a stiff dough with the dough-hook attachment. When the mixture is smooth, with the dough hook still attached but with the machine on medium-low, beat in the cubes of butter two or three at a time, making sure that each piece is completely absorbed before adding the next lot. This kneading stage should take about 30 minutes, and the finished dough should have a smooth, shiny appearance, coming away easily from the sides of the bowl.

Cover the bowl with cling film or a plastic bag, and put it in the fridge to rest for eight to 24 hours.

Remove the dough from the fridge, and knock it back in the bowl by folding it in on itself. It is crucial to work quickly at this stage, otherwise the butter will begin to melt and the dough will become too sticky to handle.

If you’re using lined loaf tins, divide the dough in two and put it in the tins. If you’re using individual brioche tins, divide the dough into 16 between the individual brioche tins that you have brushed with melted butter. Brush the top of each brioche with some of the remaining beaten egg.

Allow the brioches to prove in a nice warm part of your kitchen, but not in the oven, for 45 minutes to one hour —

see my Tip, below left — until they have doubled in size. While they are proving, preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4.

Gently brush the loaves with some beaten egg once more. Put the loaves into the preheated oven and cook them for 45-50 minutes, or until they are puffed and a rich golden brown. If they are individual brioches, they’ll take about 20 minutes. They should sound almost hollow when they are tapped on the base after being removed from their tins. Put them on a wire rack to cool.

SMOKED SALMON AND KALE SOUFFLE OMELETTE

Serves 4-6.

You will need:

30g (1oz) butter 125g (4½ oz) smoked salmon, cut into 1cm-2cm (about ½in-1in) pieces 40g (1½ oz) kale (weighed after the stalks are removed) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 5 eggs Pinch of grated nutmeg 50ml (2fl oz) cream 25g (1oz) finely grated hard cheese such as extra-mature Coolea, Corleggy or Parmesan You will also need a 25cm (10in) diameter frying pan.

Put the frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add 15g (½oz) of the butter, allow it to melt, then add the smoked salmon pieces. As the salmon cooks, you can bash it up a bit with a wooden spoon. The smoked salmon will be cooked in about three minutes and should be in slightly chunky flakes. It is cooked when it is opaque all the way through. Spoon the smoked salmon out of the pan (leave all the butter behind) and put it in a bowl.

Shred the kale leaves and put them in a pan with boiling water to cover them, and add a pinch of salt. Cook the kale on a high heat, uncovered, for about two minutes until it is just tender. Drain the kale, squeeze out the excess water, then chop it coarsely and add it to the salmon.

Next, separate the eggs. Put the egg whites in a bowl for whisking, and put the egg yolks into the bowl with the salmon and kale mixture. Stir in the grated nutmeg and some salt and freshly ground black pepper to season. Mix in 15ml (½fl oz) of the cream and half of the finely grated hard cheese.

Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff. Put the frying pan back on the heat, add the remaining 15g (½oz) of butter and allow it to melt. Fold the egg whites into the salmon, egg yolk and kale mixture, then gently tip the mixture into the pan on the heat. Cook the omelette on a medium heat for a few minutes until it’s golden underneath. Preheat the grill to high. Pour the remaining cream all over the top of the omelette and scatter it with the rest of the finely grated hard cheese. Put the omelette under the grill, but not too close to it, and cook it for a few minutes until it is puffed and golden on top and very lightly set. It should feel like a very light and soft marshmallow in the centre when you press it with your finger.

Slide the omelette onto your serving plate, and cut it into slices to serve.