Win the morning with Donna Hay’s brunch recipes. From airy souffle pancakes, to a green goddess toastie and layered pistachio French toast.
For Donna Hay, a perfect day starts with sunrise. Living by the mantra “win the morning, win the day”, the Sydney-based food writer and stylist finds her rhythm in morning’s first light.
“It’s here I like to distil the creative thoughts I have swirling around and map out a plan for the day ahead,” she writes in her latest cookbook, Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt, a vibrant tribute to modern coastal Australian home cooking.
Those plans might include a slow, sun-drenched brunch with friends – or simply coaxing her sons awake at weekends with the scent of an indulgent breakfast.
Whether it’s vibrant ricotta eggs, a cheese toastie with the lot, or puffy, fluffy Japanese-inspired souffle pancakes, these dishes distil the calm of the coast into a bright, shared brunch.
Green goddess toastie
If I’m going to indulge in a cheesy toastie, I’m going all out. It must have layers of flavour and, ideally, some fresh stuff under that crunchy golden exterior. Introducing my zingy, melty, super delicious green goddess toastie, featuring some of my favourite heavy-lifting flavour superstars.
INGREDIENTS
- 2½ cups (75g) shredded kale leaves (about 2-3 stalks)
- 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
- ⅓ cup (16g) finely grated parmesan
- ½ cup (60g) sauerkraut
- 75g goat’s cheese
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 4 slices bread of your choice
- ⅓ cup (90g) store-bought basil pesto
- 4 slices cheddar
- half an avocado, sliced
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
To serve
METHOD
- Rinse the kale under hot water and dry on absorbent kitchen paper.
- Combine the kale, mint, parmesan, sauerkraut, goat’s cheese, salt and pepper.
- Spread the bread slices with pesto. Top 2 of the slices with the cheddar and avocado, then pile the kale mixture over. Top with the remaining bread slices.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the bread with oil and place the sandwiches in the pan. Top with a plate to weigh the sandwiches down and help them cook evenly.
- Toast the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the bread is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Serves 2
Ricotta eggs with basil oil
I am super fussy about how I like my eggs: soft and creamy, with loads of add-ons. Fresh ricotta, sweet roasted tomatoes and a bright basil oil are, for me, the perfect egg enhancements.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp pure cream
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 20g unsalted butter
To serve
- basil leaves
- finely grated parmesan
- wedge of fresh ricotta
- roasted vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
- crusty baguette
- basil oil (see recipe)
METHOD
- Place the eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter and stir until melted.
- Add the egg mixture to the pan. Gently move the eggs with a spatula every 30 seconds, moving the eggs in a quarter turn until almost set. Remove from the heat.
- To assemble, place the eggs onto serving plates and top with basil leaves and parmesan. Serve with ricotta, roasted tomatoes, some crusty baguette and a drizzle of basil oil.
Serves 2
Basil oil
This is my brighten-anything oil that I like to drizzle over salads, potatoes, eggs or anything that needs a herby flavour boost.
INGREDIENTS
- 100g basil leaves
- ½ cup (125ml) good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes
METHOD
- Heat a medium saucepan of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with iced water.
- Blanch the basil for 5 seconds and immediately refresh in the iced water. Allow to cool, then pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
- Place the basil leaves in a food processor with the oil and salt and blend until smooth.
- Place a sieve lined with muslin over a bowl and pour the mixture into the sieve. Allow to slowly strain. Discard any solids.
- Pour into a clean bottle or jar and refrigerate until chilled.
Makes ½ cup (125ml)
Note: You can store this in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Layered pistachio French toast with whipped ricotta and lemon curd
Weekend mornings are the only time the house is full, so I like to coax all family members to the table with an indulgent breakfast. This golden pistachio-filled French toast is just the incentive everyone needs to ever-so-reluctantly leave their beds!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 loaf white sandwich bread, unsliced
- ½ cup (120g) store-bought pistachio spread (or see recipe)
- 5 eggs, lightly whisked
- ½ cup (125ml) milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 60g unsalted butter, chopped
Whipped ricotta
- 1 cup (250g) fresh ricotta
- ½ cup (125g) plain thick Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp pure icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract, extra
To serve
- Extra pure icing sugar, pure maple syrup, classic lemon curd (see recipe), and berries
METHOD
- To make the whipped ricotta, place the ricotta, yoghurt, icing sugar and extra vanilla into a bowl and whisk until light and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To make the French toast, trim the ends off the bread loaf and discard. Cut the remaining loaf into 12 equal slices.
- Spread 8 of the slices with the pistachio spread and layer these slices on top of each other to create 4 stacks of 2. Top with the remaining slices of bread to enclose the pistachio spread, so you have 4 stacks of 3. Using a sharp serrated knife, remove the crusts and discard.
- Place the eggs, milk and vanilla in a large shallow bowl and whisk to combine.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Dip the bread stacks into the egg mixture for 2-3 seconds on each side. Add half the butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add the bread stacks and cook for 2 minutes on all sides or until the batter seals on the surface. About halfway through cooking, add the remaining butter to the pan and continue cooking all sides of the bread until golden.
- Place the French toast on serving plates, dust with a little extra icing sugar and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve with whipped ricotta, lemon curd and berries.
Serves 4
Note: You can also use store-bought pistachio spread and lemon curd for this recipe.
Pistachio spread
It’s true, pistachio spread is having a moment, but for good reason: its deep, almost caramel nuttiness lends itself to so many sweet treats like cookies, cakes, pancakes or even rippled through ice-cream.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup (150g) shelled pistachios
- 1½ cups (375ml) boiling water, plus 2 tbsp extra
- ⅓ cup (75g) caster sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
METHOD
- Place the pistachios in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Allow to soak for 1–2 hours.
- Drain the pistachios, remove the skins and discard.
- Place the pistachios in a blender with the sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons extra water. Blend until very smooth. Pour into a clean container or jar and refrigerate until chilled.
Makes 1¼ cups (300g)
Note: You can store this in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Classic lemon curd
This is the first recipe I remember making with my grandma as a little girl. I would stand on her red stool and carefully stir the sunny mixture until it lightly coated the back of a wooden spoon. We would scoop the warm, tangy spread into jars and enjoy it with a slice of fluffy white bread. I still remember where she kept it in her fridge: bottom shelf, far right-hand corner.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
- 1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
- ½ cup (125ml) lemon juice
- 150g cold unsalted butter, chopped into 2cm cubes
METHOD
- Place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until the butter has melted. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, for a further 6–7 minutes or until the curd has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
- Immediately strain into a heatproof bowl, discarding any solids. Spoon the curd into clean jars or airtight containers and refrigerate for 3–4 hours or until chilled.
Makes 1½ cups (525g)
Note: You can store this in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Souffle pancakes with whipped brown butter and berries
Those who know me know I like my pancakes super fluffy and light as air, so when I first met the cloud-like Japanese souffle pancake, I knew I had to recreate it. Serve these puffy, fluffy wonders with spoonfuls of my newly discovered obsession: whipped brown butter.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 eggs, separated
- ¼ cup (55g) caster sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (75g) plain flour
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp table salt
- water, for cooking
To serve
- pure icing sugar
- pure maple syrup
- whipped brown butter (see recipe)
- berries
METHOD
- Preheat a large deep non-stick frying pan over low heat.
- Place the egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until foaming. Gradually add the caster sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, place the egg yolks, milk and vanilla and whisk to combine. Sift in the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt and whisk until smooth.
- In two batches, fold the egg yolk mixture gently into the egg white mixture, until just combined.
- Using only half the mixture, spoon tall rounds of the batter into the hot pan to make four pancakes. Add a few teaspoons of water to the pan, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 4–5 minutes. Do not open the lid during the cooking process.
- Remove the lid and spoon the remaining batter on top of each pancake. Add a few more teaspoons of water to the pan, cover with the lid and cook for a further 4 minutes, or until the pancakes feel set to the touch.
- Using a greased spatula, flip the pancakes. Add a few more teaspoons of water to the pan, cover with the lid and cook for about 4 minutes or until golden.
- Serve with a dusting of icing sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, the whipped brown butter and berries.
Serves 4
Note: Don’t be tempted to increase the heat in this recipe – it’s important to cook over low heat.
Whipped brown butter
I have a mild obsession with this whipped butter. Nutty, fluffy and so addictive, I like to spoon it over pancakes, French toast, waffles or banana bread.
INGREDIENTS
- 250g unsalted butter, chopped
- ¼ cup (40g) pure icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
METHOD
- Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted. Cook for 2–3 minutes or until foamy and golden brown. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until combined. Place the slightly cooled butter over a second bowl filled with ice and whisk the butter until light and starting to thicken (you want to remove the bowl of butter before it hardens). Place into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Remove the butter from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Re-whip for a light and fluffy texture, if needed.
Makes 1½ cups (300g)
Note: You can store this in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by Donna Hay. Published by Fourth Estate. Photography by Chris Court and Con Poulos. RRP $55.
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