Food

Special french toast or omelettes make ideal long-weekend breakfast fare for family and friends.

Special french toast or omelettes for perfect long-weekend breakfasts.

The long Easter weekend is the ideal time to serve a leisurely breakfast, and eggs can make this meal special if your usual start to the day, like mine, is a hurried slice of toast and a cup of tea before rushing out the door. My weekends include an obligatory trip to a farmers’ market wherever I happen to be (favourites are Matakana, Parnell and Marlborough), and free-range eggs and local bacon inevitably end up in my basket. So, brunch plans are made for friends or family and I have those eggs in mind when planning the menu.

The easiest brunch is a fairly healthy but substantial omelette. If there are only two or three people, I make individual ones. For a larger group, I use about eight eggs in a big frying pan and make one omelette to serve on a platter with fresh fruit and vegetables, smoked salmon or crisp bacon. For a more substantial omelette, I stuff it with cheese or spinach. Use fresh white goat cheese, feta or fresh mozzarella instead of the traditional cheddar, as this stops the omelette being too rich and fatty.

French toast is another favourite. I always use thick slices of fluffy white bread for this luxury treat, but a sourdough made with organic wheat or spelt flour also produces great french toast. For best results, soak the bread in the egg mixture for 15-30 minutes.

In this version of baked eggs in french toast, ensure the eggs are still slightly runny. This dish will be a winner with family and friends. Have maple syrup to pour over everything.

EGGS BAKED IN FRENCH TOAST

6 thick slices sourdough bread

8 eggs

300ml whole milk (or half and half) 1 tbsp maple syrup pinch of cinnamon pinch of salt

4 tbsp butter

12 rashers streaky bacon

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Using a cookie cutter or small glass, cut a hole in the centre of each slice of bread. Remove the little round and keep for breadcrumbs or another use.

Beat 2 eggs with the milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt until well combined but not frothy. Spread the bread in a baking dish that will fit 6 slices snugly in a single layer – roughly 30cm x 20cm. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and leave until all the liquid is absorbed. Stand for at least 15 minutes.

Heat a heavy frying pan, then melt the butter. Fry the bread over a gentle heat until golden – this is the french toast.

Rinse the baking dish that held the bread, then butter the base. Arrange the cooked french toast slices in the dish, then carefully break 1 egg into each hole. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until the toast is golden and puffy and the eggs are baked.

When the eggs are almost ready, grill or fry the bacon until crisp.

Use an egg slice to remove the toast from the dish. Serve with bacon and extra maple syrup.

Serves 6.

Wine match: champagne.

CHEESY OMELETTE FOR FRIENDS

8 eggs

3 tbsp water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ cup finely chopped parsley

4 tbsp butter

100g fresh white cheese or soft feta 2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 2 avocados, sliced

12 slices cold-smoked salmon extra parsley or basil leaves