THE WORLD’S BEST
Breakfast like a king — even if you’re on dishes, writes Maggie Wicks
Food is such a quintessential part of travel. Whether it’s revisiting that same cafe or pub every day until it becomes “yours”, or the scent of a curried noodle soup that brings to mind a streetcart in Southeast Asia years later, our stomachs are a driving force of itineraries and fond memories.
And brunch? Brunch is a quintessential part of any lazy weekend. It’s luxurious, social — and cocktails are allowed.
It is also often a meal that someone else — a professional — cooks for you. But with their heavy reliance on eggs, stove-top vegetables and comforting bready treats, brunch foods are fast and simple. It’s the best meal of any day, even if you’re the chef.
Here’s how to bring the world to your dining table every weekend.
Cilbir
Anyone who has travelled to Turkey will be aware that the Turks really know how to start the day. Salads and stewed vegetables, thick yoghurt drizzled with runny jam and tahini, chewy fresh breads, soft cheese, hard cheese and squeaky cheese — no one is leaving the table hungry.
Cilbir is a luxurious Turkish dish that involves soft-cooking eggs, then adding a garlicky yoghurt sauce and butter. It is savoury, rich and simple. The yolks should be runny, and the chilli will cut right through the butter. Ottoman sultans were said to be eating this dish 600 years ago — let’s not stop now.
How to do it
Whisk yoghurt with a crushed garlic clove. Leave it whole so it’s easy to fish out later. Brown butter in a pan and add chilli flakes and some olive oil. Poach your eggs — about five minutes for runny centres. Then build your bowl — start with the yoghurt in the bottom, add an egg, and pour over that spicy butter. Top with any soft herbs you have to hand. Eat with crunchy toast.
The American pancake
Crepes are all very well, good and classy, but the high-rise stack of risen American pancakes is a breakfast diner institution. They should be fluffy, cake-y, and preferably covered with something indulgent — if you layered crispy bacon, caramelised banana and maple syrup, you wouldn’t be going too far.
The first pancake is always a dud — the reasons for this are a complicated mix of how relaxed your batter is, how hot your pan is, and how wellgreased it is — so just treat it as a snack for the chef and get flipping.
How to do it
Line up your ingredients. You want 1 cup white flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 cup milk, 2 Tbsp oil or melted butter and 1 egg. Mix the dry ingredients well, then mix the wet separately, then add them together. Only mix as much as you need to combine them into a smooth batter — although a few lumps of flour never hurt anyone. Leave to rest while you heat the pan to medium-hot, and grease it well. Drop as much batter as you like into the pan — the size is up to you. Then be patient. Let them brown at the edges, let some bubbles appear in the batter. When things are looking sturdy and you’re feeling brave, flip. Regrease the pan between each batch. Good luck.
A proper British bacon sandwich
You may not think you need a lesson in how to make a bacon sandwich. But too many people overthink this simple classic.
Fergus Henderson knows a thing or two about a bacon sandwich. He is the founder of St John — a temple to nose-to-tail eating — in central London. But it is at the sister restaurant — St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields