Brunched. Not quite breakfast and not quite lunch, here are some inspired twists on classic brunch staples.
Cin Cin!
Laura Holmes Haddad
aka The Gourmet Grrl
Grrl with Corkscrew
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Juicy Fruit. You simply cannot throw a brunch (or attend one) without drinking a Mimosa. Period. But few people pay attention to this brunch standard. Instead of the usual sub-par bubbly and store-bought o.j., elevate this cocktail with some good sparkling wine and blood-red blood orange juice. (If blood oranges are out of season substitute navel or another juicing orange.)
BLOOD ORANGE MIMOSAS
1 bottle good-quality sparkling wine (such as Chandon, Mumm, or Schramsberg)
2 cups blood-orange juice, freshly squeezed
8 blood-orange slices
Mix the champagne with the blood-orange juice in a large jug. Pour into Champagne glasses and garnish each with a slice of orange.
Serves 8
Grrl with Knife
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Eggs in a Basket. We’re still cooking our way through Ham: An Obsession with the Hindquarter
Shirred Eggs in Prosciutto Crudo Cups
1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 tablespoons minced chives or the green part of a scallion
2 tablespoons minced rosemary leaves
Unsalted butter for greasing the muffin tin
12 paper-thin prosciutto crudo slices
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Warm the cream, minced chives, and the rosemary in a small saucepan over medium heat just until little bubbles ring the inside of the pan, 3 or 4 minutes. Cover and set aside off the heat for 30 minutes to steep.
2. Meanwhile, set the rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven up to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 6 indentations in a standard muffin tin, or six 1/2-cup oven-safe ramekins.
3. Line each indentation or ramekin with 2 prosciutto crudo slices, crimping and overlapping them to create the outline of the indentation as well as a little lip on each. If necessary, tear the strips so they fill the indentations without any gaps or holes.
4. Set the tin in the oven or the ramekins on a baking sheet and then in the oven. In either case, bake until the prosciutto begins to get crisp at its edges, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the very hot muffin tin or the tray with the ramekins to a wire rack and divide the cream mixture among the indentations, a scant tablespoon in each cup.
6. Crack an egg into each indentation, then top each egg with pepper. Set the tin or tray with its ramekins back into the oven and bake just until the eggs are set, about 8 minutes for a softer yolk and 12 minutes for a more set yolk.
Serves 6
Recipe and photo courtesy Weinstein, Scarbrough/Abrams
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