BRUNCH with Brother Marcus -book review

Recipes from the Eastern Med

Brunch – generally means a late breakfast or an early lunch and Brunch with Brother Marcus certainly ticks all the boxes if you want to add a new dimension to your breakfast or lunch options. As breakfast is the first meal of the day (and many people seem to skip what is generally considered the most important meal of the day) then perhaps this new cookery book may help you update your culinary skills.

Brunch with Brother Marcus, a delightful cookery book written by Tasos Gaitanos and Alex Large (who jointly manage four restaurants spread across the London area) takes the reader on a wonderful culinary journey. 

The book is divided into six chapters – 

Eggs

Savoury

Sweet Baking 

Larder

Drinks

This following recipe is definitely a uniquely-spicy take on eggs:

Harissa Eggs with Rainbow Chard

Serves 4

400g rainbow chard, roughly chopped 

4 medium slices of sourdough

8 tbsp Harissa Oil

8 eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the smashed avocado

1 avocado, halved and peeled

Juice from  ¼ lime

A pinch of Aleppo chilli flakes

A generous pinch of ground fennel

Method

Bring a deep pan of water up to a boil and blanch the chard for 1 minute, then quickly sieve it and run it under the cold tap. This will lightly cook it while retaining vibrant colours.

Make your smashed avocado; slice the avocado into a bowl with the lime juice, Aleppo chilli flakes and ground fennel, and smash it all up with a fork. Season to taste.

When you are ready to eat, toast the bread and drizzle each slice with a tablespoon of harissa oil. Then spread with some of the smashed avocado.

Put your eggs on to poach

Add a tablespoon of oil to a frying pan on high heat and saute the chard, stirring regularly, until piping hot. Season lightly before layering onto the avocado toast the topping with a couple of poached eggs. Season and spoon over the remaining harissa oil

That’s it.

Harissa Eggs with Rainbow Chard

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Ingredients

  

• 400 g rainbow chard roughly chopped
• 4 medium slices of sourdough
• 8 tbsp Harissa Oil
• 8 eggs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the smashed avocado
• 1 avocado halved and peeled
• Juice from ¼ lime
• A pinch of Aleppo chilli flakes
• A generous pinch of ground fennel

Instructions

 

• Bring a deep pan of water up to a boil and blanch the chard for 1 minute, then quickly sieve it and run it under the cold tap. This will lightly cook it while retaining the vibrant colours.
• Make your smashed avocado; slice the avocado into a bowl with the lime juice, Aleppo chilli flakes and ground fennel, and smash it all up with a fork. Season to taste.
• When you are ready to eat, toast the bread and drizzle each slice with a tablespoon of harissa oil. Then spread with some of the smashed avocado.
• Put your eggs on to poach
• Add a tablespoon of oil to a frying pan on high heat and saute the chard, stirring regularly, until piping hot. Season lightly before layering onto the avocado toast the topping with a couple of poached eggs. Season and spoon over the remaining harissa oil

Keyword breakfast, brunch, eggs

Quick tip from the book:

Harissa oil

Harissa can overpower other flavours but diluting it in a hot spicy oil provides more versatility.

3 tbsp Harissa Paste (also a recipe in the book)

125ml olive oil

Put the harissa paste in a small pan with the olive oil and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and allow the oil to cool ready for use. Store in a jar in the fridge.

Brunch with Brother Marcus is published by Kitchen Press (www.kitchenpress.co.uk) and is available now from all the usual book outlets. 

With the combination of easy-to-follow recipes and wonderful photography, makes this cookery book a wonderful addition to your cookery book collection