I’d happily argue that breakfast in bed is one of the best parts of staying in a hotel. Even better when the dishes are something a little more luxurious than what you might expect at home – perhaps a decadent lobster omelette or buttermilk waffles with vanilla mascarpone. Needless to say, a hotel stay is not on the cards until at least July for now – but that doesn’t mean you can’t rustle something up in the kitchen to make the weekend feel a little more special. Below we round up the very best recipes from UK hotels to up the ante on breakfast and brunch until you can visit them in person for the full experience.
‘Potty Eggs’ from The Newt in Somerset
The kitchen team at The Newt, an exceptional country house hotel, love this dish: ‘One of our signature breakfast dishes, Potty Eggs are wonderfully versatile – you can customise to your liking, swap fresh vegetables, add meat or leave it out. It allows our chefs to adapt to that day’s harvest from the gardens; and at home, is a great way to use up odds and ends in your fridge.’
Serves two
4 eggs
2 handfuls of spinach or rainbow chard
2 handfuls of wild mushrooms, chopped
1 fresh chilli, chopped
100g goats’, feta or mozzarella cheese
2 rashers of smoked bacon or pancetta (optional)
1 handful chopped parsley and mint from the garden
Optional extras: seeds, pine nuts, sliced radish
In a large pan, fry off the bacon or pancetta until golden. Add mushrooms, greens and chilli, and cook to wilt slightly. Crack your eggs on top, turn the heat to low and cook gently until whites are set. Season well, finish with fresh cheese and chopped herbs. Serve in the middle of the table, with plenty of toasted, heavily buttered bread to soak up the yolk.
Okonomyaki eggs from The Lanesborough, London
Chef Luca Antonious of The Lanesborough, a five-star hotel overlooking Hyde Park, shared: “I love to make this brunch dish at home as a ‘show-stopping’ dish – something a little different to treat your family on a lazy Sunday at home, and it’s also relatively healthy. It is one of our best-selling dishes in Céleste, our Michelin-starred restaurant at The Lanesborough.”
For six pancakes
3/4 cup (175g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2.5g) salt
1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock (can be substituted with water)
4 eggs
3 cups (750g) finely shredded cabbage
2 green onions, finely chopped
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup (60ml) canola oil
Toppings
2 cups (500g) bean sprouts
1 green onion, finely sliced diagonally
2 cups (500g) dried bonito flakes
3 tbsp (45g) pickled ginger
3 tbsp (45g) toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp (45ml) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp (15ml) Asian-style hot sauce
Stir flour with salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk stock with eggs before whisking into flour mixture. Fold in cabbage, onions and bacon. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15ml) of the oil over medium-high heat; pour 1/2 cup (125ml) of the batter into the pan, gently pressing down with spatula to flatten. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until bottom is browned; flip over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as necessary. Toppings: Serve with sprouts, green onion, bonito flakes, ginger, sesame seeds, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce (or okonomiyaki sauce if you can find it) and hot sauce.
Buttermilk waffles with vanilla mascarpone and granola from The Rectory, Cotswolds
Kris Biggs, Group Pastry Chef of The Rectory Hotel, a lovely low-key country house hotel, introduces the dish like so: “This is one of my favourite breakfast dishes or even brunch, I love the textures, the crunch of granola, freshness of the fruit and then the richness of the vanilla mascarpone.”
You will need a waffle iron (which is available from most supermarkets). Be sure to compare the timings below with those suggested on the waffle iron packaging.
Batter for four to six waffles
115g butter
255g plain flour
480g buttermilk
30g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4g salt
2 eggs
Melt the butter in a saucepan, allow to cool. Whisk the buttermilk & eggs together. Sieve the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, whisk till a smooth batter. Slowly whisk the butter into the batter. Cook the waffles for 2.5 minutes or till golden brown
Vanilla Mascarpone
200g mascarpone
40g icing sugar
1/2 vanilla pod or 5 drops of vanilla essence
Split the vanilla pod in half, scrap the seeds with a small knife, add into a mixing bowl. Add the mascarpone and icing sugar, whisk together. Transfer into a container and chill for 30 mins before using.
The Rectory Granola
Pinch of salt
125g oats
30g honey
65g raisins
2 tablespoons olive oil
35g hazelnuts
35g coconut flakes
65g pumpkin seeds
120g demerara sugar
35g flaked almonds
65g dried cranberries
Heat up the sugar, honey, olive oil & salt. Mix together the oats with the sugar mixture. Transfer onto a tray and bake at 180C until golden brown. Allow to cool before transferring into a container. Toast the hazelnuts, coconut flakes & flaked almonds. Add to the mixture with the cranberries, raisins and pumpkin seeds.
To serve
Once your waffle is cooked, place onto a plate. Place a nice quenelle of vanilla mascarpone cream, scatter season berries or fruit over then add your granola.
Porridge with Drambuie soaked Scottish berries from Gleneagles, Perth and Kinross
Executive Chef Simon Attridge of Gleneagles, the five-star Scottish hotel, spa and golf resort, explains his choice: “Porridge is one of Scotland’s most famous exports, but it also has a long history at Gleneagles, with one of our former chefs, Norman Brockie, having won the prestigious Golden Spurtle World Championships. The porridge we serve in our Strathearn restaurant is based on Norman’s award-winning recipe. It’s a hearty, comforting and delicious dish and you can make it naughty or nice with any number of toppings. Scottish berries are among the best in the world and are just beginning to come into season right now – add a handful of raspberries and strawberries for a sweet and healthy kick or, if you’re feeling a bit decadent, a sweet, rich Drambuie syrup makes the perfect porridge partner with a sharp berry compote.”
For four servings
750ml water (or milk)
250g medium pinhead oatmeal
Salt
Sugar
Toppings
A small dish of whipped cream
A spoonful of toasted oatmeal per serving
A spoonful of brown sugar per serving
A punnet of raspberries, soaked in Drambuie
Place water and oatmeal in pan and bring to the boil stirring continuously for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from boil and add salt or sugar to taste. If making it with milk, use a thick bottom pan to stop the porridge from catching. Place in bowls and top with whipped cream, toasted oatmeal, brown sugar and raspberries which have been soaked in Drambuie.
Croissant eggs Benedict from No.11 Cadogan Gardens, London
Head Chef Chris Prow of Hans Bar & Grill at Chelsea bolthole No.11 Cadogan Gardens shares: “We take pride in our food and produce alike here – we like to be unique. To me serving the Eggs Benedict with a croissant adds a certain joie de vivre and luxuriousness to the dish and goes down a treat with our guests.
Serves as many as needed
2 eggs per person
Serrano ham, Prosciutto or conventional sliced ham
Croissants from your favourite delicatessen or bakery
Hollandaise sauce (see recipe below)
Fill a small pan just over one third full with cold water and bring it to the boil. Add the vinegar and turn down to simmer. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and gently tip into the simmering water. Lightly poach for 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen towels. Slice croissant in half, toast it, place your favourite ham on top and gently heat in the oven to warm meat but be careful of burning the croissant. Finally, place your two poached eggs on top and drizzle lashings of your creamy Hollandaise sauce, before placing the other half of the croissant on top.
Hollandaise Sauce
125g butter
2 egg Yolks
Tablespoon white wine vinegar
Lemon Juice
Tiny pinch cayenne pepper
Melt 125g butter in a small saucepan and skim any white solids from the surface. Keep the butter warm. Put 2 egg yolks, 1/2 tsp white wine or tarragon vinegar, a pinch of salt and a splash of ice-cold water in a metal or glass bowl that will fit over a small pan. Whisk for a few mins, then put the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and whisk continuously until pale and thick, about 3-5 mins. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the melted butter, bit by bit until it’s all incorporated and you have a creamy hollandaise. (If it gets too thick, add a splash of water.) Season with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little cayenne pepper. Keep warm until needed.
Black pudding Scotch egg with fruity brown sauce from Links House, Scottish Highlands
Chef Chris Dougan of Highland retreat Links House told The Telegraph: “The Breakfast Black Pudding Scotch Egg is not for the faint hearted! It brings together much loved classics and is deliciously filling and sets you off on the right foot for the day. Here at MARA in Links House, we like to put a subtle twist on our breakfast Black Pudding Scotch Egg by adding pea puree to the dish. Also unusual for breakfast, but works extremely well with both the fruitiness of the black pudding and sharpness of the brown sauce.”
Black pudding for two
450g dry pigs blood mix
200 g porridge oats
5g allspice
300g streaky bacon
300g diced onion
120g cooked pearl barley
120g sultanas
150g pork back fat
155ml white wine vinegar
5g thyme
750ml water
Finely dice the onion, and bacon, then cook the bacon on a medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan and add the onions to same pan, cook on gentle heat until translucent. Place the sugar, thyme and vinegar in a pan, bring to simmer and reduce by 1/4. In a large bowl mix the blood, oats, spice, sultanas, barley, onions and bacon. Pass the reduced sugar syrup through a fine sieve into the dry mix, add the water and season with a good pinch of salt. Line a baking tray with cling film, place the mix in the tray and wrap tightly in film, then foil. Steam the mix for 45-50mins
Fruity Brown Sauce
100 g Granny smith apples (peeled, cored and chopped)
175 diced onion
75g chopped dates
750g chopped tomatoes (tinned)
25g tomato paste
25g tamarind paste
5g Worcester sauce
1g cayenne pepper
5g salt
225g sugar
2g ground ginger
1g ground nutmeg
1g ground allspice
1g Tabasco
400ml Malt vinegar
Reserve the sugar, add all other ingredients to a heavy based pan, bring to a simmer for about 50 mins until all ingredients are tender, increase the heat to a gentle boil, add the sugar, simmer for a further 10 mins till all sugar is dissolved, blitz and pass through a sieve.
Eggs
Place an egg in boiling water for 5 mins, cool immediately under cold water and peel. On the work surface place a sheet of cling film. Crumble the black pudding, take 75g and press on the cling film (using a rolling pin will help for a more even finish. Place the peeled egg in the center of the black pudding. Bring the edges of the clingfilm together to encase the egg in the blackpudding. Chill this for at least 1 hour in the fridge. When chilled for 1 hour and firm, dip the egg in breadcrumbs. Fry at 180c until golden brown
To assemble
Cut the egg down the centre and serve in the center of a plate, season the yolk with rock salt and black pepper, serve the brown sauce on the side.
Buttermilk pancakes from The Bloomsbury, London
Byron Moussouris, Executive Head Chef at The Bloomsbury‘s restaurant Dalloway Terrace, shared: “Pancakes are a great weekend treat, one of our most popular and ‘grammable dishes on Dalloway Terrace. We can’t wait to get back up and running but in the meantime here’s our popular recipe for you to make at home – go wild with the toppings!”
For two
350g (12oz) self-raising gluten-free flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
200ml (7 fl oz) buttermilk
400 ml (14 fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
2 free-range eggs
85g (3oz) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for frying
1 lime zested
1 orange juiced and zested
Toppings of lemon curd, berries and maple syrup or streaky back bacon and maple syrup
In a bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl or jug, mix together the buttermilk, milk, eggs, lime zest, orange
juice and zest and butter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Do not overbeat – stir just to combine. Melt a small knob of butter in a large frying pan. Using a ladle, pour some batter into the pan to make a pancake. Depending on the size of the pan, you may be able to make more than one pancake at a time, or if you are confident you can use two pans at the same time. Cook the pancakes for about a minute, or until the underside is golden brown and the top is bubbling. Turn them over using a palette knife or fish slice and cook for another minute. Keep the pancakes warm in a very low oven while you cook the remaining batter. Serve with with your choice of sweet or savoury toppings.
Lobster omelette from The Goring, London
This recipe comes from Richard Galli, Executive Chef of The Goring, including Michelin-starred restaurant, The Dining Room.
You will need
24cm non-stick pan
4 x 24cm oven proof dishes
Thermidor glaze
35g butter
35g flour
2 egg yolks
120ml shellfish stock (available from good supermarkets and specialist retailers)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
15g grated parmesan
115ml milk
150ml double cream
Juice of one lemon
Salt
Pepper
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the flour and mix with a spatula until a smooth paste forms and comes away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook over a low heat for about three minutes constantly working with the spatula. Once the flour and butter mix has cooked out remove from the heat and add the egg yolk, stock, mustard and parmesan and mix until smooth. Now add the milk, cream and lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to incorporate and reserve for later.
Omelette
240g fresh cooked lobster meat
12 eggs
Tarragon leaves
Salt
Pepper
Pre-heat oven to 220oC with grill on. Take 3 eggs per omelette. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. Gently cook in an individual non-stick pan, folding constantly until an omelette begins to form but is still runny on top. Slide each omelette onto an ovenproof dish, runny side up. Take 60g of lobster meat and place on top of each omelette, add a generous spoonful of the thermidor glaze on top of the omelette and spread a smooth layer over the top. Place the omelettes in the oven and grill for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer each omelette onto a warmed plate and serve immediately garnished with a little chives.
Notes
Top-quality shellfish stock is key for the dish. Ask a fishmonger for part cooked lobster and ask them to remove the meat for you. One lobster is enough for four people. You can substitute the lobster meat for fresh picked white crab meat if you prefer/more readily available. You can keep the thermidor glaze in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Source: Telegraph Travels
