Brunch recipes for the festive season

Planning a late Christmas dinner? Get in a bit of brunch, after opening all your pressies, to keep you full until the main event

CLODAGH McKENNA'S RUNNY POACHED EGG, WILD MUSHROOMS AND CRUMBLED CLONAKILTY VEGGIE PUDDING

Ingredients (Serves 2)

100g Clonakilty veggie pudding

30g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

200g wild mushrooms (such as chanterelles, morels, ceps)

½ lemon

1 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

2 eggs

2 slices of sourdough toast

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180oC. Crumble the Clonakilty veggie pudding into small pieces, place on a baking tray and into the pre-heated oven for ten minutes.
• 2. Clean any grit off the mushrooms using a soft brush, then chop them up roughly. Place a large fry pan over a medium heat and melt the butter and olive oil. Then toss in the mushrooms, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and add the juice of ½ lemon. Turn up the heat and cook for three minutes. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the mushrooms and continue to cook for a further minute.
• 3. Meanwhile poach the eggs in a saucepan filled with boiling salted water, for just four minutes.
• 4. Toast the sourdough bread. Once the bread has toasted place them on two plates, and divide the cooked mushrooms between the two slices of toast. Place the runny poached eggs on top and sprinkle the roast Clonakilty veggie pudding over. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

This recipe is from ‘The Black and White Cookbook’, a hardback collection of recipes celebrating the Clonakilty Food Co.’s iconic Clonakilty Blackpudding and Clonakilty Whitepudding. The cookbook features a carefully curated selection of recipes which have been created by some of Ireland’s leading chefs, food writers and home cooks including Clodagh McKenna, Adrian Martin, Joe Shannon, Lily Higgins and Gastro Gays.

The book costs €15 and you can purchase it on shop.clonakiltyblackpudding.ie

CLIONA O'CONNOR'S CLONAKILTY BLACKPUDDING SPICY SALSA STEW

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Cook time: 30 minutes)

100g Chorizo

1 small onion, chopped

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 clove garlic

½ tsp chilli

½ tsp smoked paprika

200g Clonakilty Blackpudding, sliced 1inch pieces and quartered

2 x tins chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato puree

Salt and pepper

4 free-range eggs

50g feta cheese, to garnish

Method

• 1. Slice the chorizo and gently fry in a large frying pan with 1tsp of olive oil until it starts to release its own oils.
• 2. Add the chopped onion and fry gently for five minutes.
• 3. Add in the sliced pepper garlic and spices and fry for two minutes.
• 4. Now add in the Clonakilty Blackpudding and fry for a further five minutes.
• 5. Add in the tins of tomatoes and 1 tbsp of tomato puree, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 6. Make four little wells in the mixture and break an egg into each one.
• 7. Cover your frying pan and allow to simmer for five minutes. Sprinkle the crumbled feta on top and serve.

This recipe is also from ‘The Black and White Cookbook’.

FESTIVE HASH by ALI HONOUR, of ALI'S KITCHEN, CORK CITY

IN the restaurant, our brunch has become quite a talking point! Brunch is great for at home too.

We love Festive Brunch time. Hash is a great dish to try as it is so versatile and you can use whatever you have left over from dinner with an egg or too.

I have always loved St Stephens Day for Bubble & Squeak with all the leftovers! So here is one idea, but you can adapt.

Essentials are spuds and eggs. Meats you could use — Turkey, Ham, Spiced Beef, Duck, Goose, etc. Add any vegetables you like, such as squash, sprouts, mushrooms, or spinach.

You can easily make a hearty vegetarian version maybe with your favourite cheese, or make a vegan version with no butter or egg — it will still be delicious with a dollop of hummus maybe or sprinkle of nuts!

Here’s a basic recipe for two people to start you off — but don’t be afraid to get inventive!

Ingredients

275g cooked diced potato or roasties from dinner

2tbsp oil

1 small onion

250g sausage meat or your favorite sausages (O’Mahony’s in the English Market have great selection)

Or this is where you use your Turkey, spiced beef or Ham

150g Kale leaves

4 finely chopped sage leaves

2tbsp chopped parsley

Splash of Worcestershire sauce

2 Eggs

Dollop of your favorite breakie sauce, mustard or festive chutney

Method:

• Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a large, non-stick frying pan.
• Cook the onion for 8-10 mins over a low heat until soft. Add the potatoes and sausagemeat, turn the heat up to medium and brown everything for five to six minutes. Scatter the kale over and wilt for two minutes, then stir in the sage, parsley and Worcester sauce
• Pour in the remaining oil and push the hash to one side of the pan to make room for the eggs. Crack the eggs in and fry to your liking.
• Divide the hash between two bowls and top with a fried egg and your sauce.
• If you want to impress guests go for poached eggs and a good lashing of Hollandaise!

Ali Honour runs Ali’s Kitchen, on Paul Street, a casual dining experience where breakfast, brunch and lunch are inspired by family traditions and influences from home.