John Torode’s ultimate Christmas brunch
No one does brunch better than an Aussie…so we’ve tasked John with sharing his ultimate festive brunch! He’s bringing perfect poached eggs, maple bacon with whipped feta and cranberry sauce - what a way to kick-start the morning.
Ultimate Christmas brunch
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
For the cornbread:120g self-raising flour130g cornmeal or polenta1 tsp baking powder2 tsp sugar240ml milk170g butter1 egg, beaten6 rashers smoked bacon, diced and crispy fried (optional)
For the bacon maple syrup:10 slices of streaky bacon20ml vegetable oil1 tbsp maple syrup.
For the whipped feta:250g Feta cheese75g cream cheeseA scattering of chilli flakes to serve (optional)
For the eggs:2L water50ml vinegar4 eggs
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190℃ fan.
2. Sift flour and then mix together with all the other dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a saucepan, heat the milk and the butter over a low heat until butter melts, then mix it into the dry mix with the beaten egg until combined and the batter is free of large flour lumps. Mix in half of the cooked bacon or ham.
4. Grease a 23x12cm loaf tin with a good amount of butter. Pour the mix into the mould and sprinkle with the remaining cooked bacon or ham.
5. Place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
6. Whilst the cornbread is baking, place a frying pan over a medium heat, add the oil and the bacon and cook the bacon for a couple of minutes until it starts to crisp. Add a glug of maple syrup to the plan and cook for a further minute before draining off the oil and setting the bacon aside.
7. Next, place the feta into a food processor and blitz to a crumb. Add the cream cheese and puree until smooth.
8. To poach the eggs, add the vinegar to a bowl and crack in the egg. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
9. Keeping the water moving, pour the eggs in carefully and imagine the saucepan as a clockface, one at a time at 12 o’clock then 6 o’clock then 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock lastly. Keep the water rolling.
10. Once the eggs float to the surface of the water, cook for a further 2 minutes and then carefully remove from the pan and set aside ready to assemble the dish.
11. To serve, slice the hot bread and butter each slice well. Add a blob of whipped feta, top with the maple bacon and serve along with the poached eggs.
John’s top tips for poaching eggs:
Use clean fresh water
Do not add salt or it will break down the egg white and the eggs will fall apart
Put a good 50 ml of vinegar into a bowl and crack in the egg.
Have the water at a rolling boil.
Use a thin deep pot, so as the egg drops in it will roll into a ball as it sinks and will have a great round shape.