Nothing says ‘weekend’ like brunch! This week, food writer Libby Kimber shares recipes for a mushroom breakfast bowl and a boozy brunch.
Mushroom breakfast bowl
Serves 2
Polenta triangles
- 400 ml good quality chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 3/4 cup quick polenta, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Pinch fresh cracked paper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Breakfast bowl
- 2 bunches of cherry truss tomatoes
- Butter, for cooking
- 200g cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 free-range eggs
- Pinch kosher salt
- Pinch fresh cracked paper
For the polenta triangles, line a small baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Place a heavy base medium saucepan on medium heat, add the chicken stock and allow it to come to a simmer. Add the quick polenta and stir through. Keep stirring while it thickens to prevent lumps from forming.
Add the thyme leaves and pepper.
Once the polenta has turned very thick and changed to a creamy consistency (after 3-5 minutes), remove it from the heat and add the grated parmesan cheese.
Using a spatula, scrape out the polenta from the saucepan and into the lined baking tray. Spread it out to be approximately 1-2 cm thick. Place in the fridge to set for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Once chilled, slice into triangles. These can be stored in the freezer for convenience or cooked straight away.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Toss the triangles in extra dried polenta and place them back on the baking tray. Place the tray in the oven to crisp up for 15 minutes. Once crispy, remove from the oven and set aside to serve.
For the breakfast bowl: while the oven is on, place the cherry tomatoes on a small, lined baking tray and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the skins start to split. Once cooked, remove and set aside to serve.
Add a knob of butter to a heavy base frypan on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the fresh thyme leaves. Sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown, then remove from the pan and set aside.
Using the same frypan, add the baby spinach and allow it to wilt down. It doesn’t take long (about 1 minute), so keep an eye on it. Remove and set aside.
Cook the eggs to your liking.
To serve, add all the ingredients to a large wide bowl. Start with the polenta triangles, wilted baby spinach, and mushrooms, followed by the egg and tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Recipe and image courtesy of Australian Mushrooms; australianmushrooms.com.au
Boozy brunch
For a special occasion brunch, you can’t go past the classic mimosa. Combine two parts champagne or sparkling wine with one-part fresh orange juice for the perfect breakfast accompaniment.
Looking for something a bit different? Add some guava nectar to your champagne, to taste, or pop a bottle of sparkling rosé – best served with something sweet.
If you want to combine your morning caffeine with your cocktails, try an espresso martini. Shake 30ml each of vodka, espresso and Kahlua over ice, strain into a martini glass and top with a few coffee beans. Bellissimo!
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