The Hidden Hut: Irresistible Recipes from Cornwall’s Best-kept Secret. Simon Stallard
a small bunch of coriander, leaves chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
50g Cheddar cheese, finely grated
sea salt (if needed) and freshly ground black pepper
Put the haddock in a bowl and pour hot water from the kettle over it, then leave it to poach for 2 minutes. Drain and flake the fish into large chunks.
Separate four of the eggs, leaving the yolks in the shells for now. Put the whites in a clean, grease-free bowl and whisk them using an electric hand whisk until firm peaks form.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the remaining six whole eggs with the cream and season with pepper (you probably won’t need much salt, if any, as the haddock is quite salty). Fold the egg whites into the egg and cream mixture, being careful not to knock out too much of the air. Using a spatula, quickly fold in the flaked haddock, spring onions and coriander.
Preheat the grill to high. Heat the oil in a frying pan with a heatproof handle over a medium heat. Pour the egg mix into the pan and use a spatula to move the mix around a bit so that it starts to cook evenly. Pop a lid on and leave to cook for 5 minutes in the pan or until well set on the bottom.
Remove the pan from the heat and gently tip the four egg yolks from their shells onto the top of the omelette. Sprinkle the top with the cheese and put the pan under the grill for 3–4 minutes until the omelette is turning golden on top and is cooked throughout, but the egg yolks are still runny. Serve immediately.
TOPPED CORNISH POTATO CAKES
Cornish potato cakes stacked up with sausage patties, blistered tomatoes and crispy potato skins. By popping a few baking potatoes into the oven first thing, you’re well on the way to making a cooked brunch that will set you up for the day.
Serves 4
4 baking potatoes, about 200g each
480g of your favourite sausages
olive oil, for brushing and shallow-frying
1 tsp flaked sea salt
40g butter, melted
10g plain flour, for dusting
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
basil leaves, to garnish
FOR THE BLISTERED TOMATOES
400g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
4 spring onions, finely shredded
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp nigella (black onion) seeds
First thing in the morning, put the potatoes into the oven, set it for 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6 and leave to bake for 1–1½ hours or until soft. Cut each potato in half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl, keeping the skins. Leave until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan oven) gas mark 5. Remove the skins from the sausages and form the sausagemeat into eight small patties. Put to one side.
Thoroughly scrape off any remaining mash from the potato skins and cut the skins into 2.5cm slices. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the flaked sea salt. Put onto a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash the potato with a fork, then add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Divide the mash into eight even balls and gently flatten the top and bottom of each slightly, then dust in the flour.
Heat the olive oil for shallow-frying in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and pan-fry the balls for 1 minute on each side or until browned. Set these on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 8 minutes.
Give your frying pan a quick clean, then fry the sausage patties in olive oil for 2 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Turn the oven right down to 110°C (90°C fan oven) gas mark ¼ and pop the patties in with the potato cakes to keep warm.
For the tomatoes, turn up the heat under the frying pan and cook the tomatoes for 2 minutes, turning once. Try not to stir them too much. Throw in the spring onions and add the lemon juice, oil and nigella seeds. Cook for 1 minute or so to lightly wilt the onions.
Serve the potato cakes topped with the sausage patties. Spoon oven the tomatoes and spring onions, and top with the crispy potato skins and some fresh basil leaves.
CHILLI SAFFRON TOAST WITH CRISPY BACON
Here’s one for chilli lovers. Head down to your local bakery to pick up a Cornish saffron loaf, and get the frying pan on for this eggy bread with a twist. The fiery green chilli and coriander really wake everything up. These toasts are great with a bowl of Greek yogurt on the side.
Serves 4
2 large eggs, beaten
16 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
40g butter
4 slices of 1 large saffron loaf, about 2.5cm thick and 100g each
4 tsp wild honey
1–2 small green finger chillies, to taste — depending on how hot you like it — finely chopped
a bunch of coriander, leaves roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Season the eggs with salt and pepper, then pour them into a deep saucer or shallow bowl and put to one side. This is for dipping the saffron bread into.
Preheat the oven to 195°C (175°C fan oven) gas mark 5½ and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Lay out the rashers of bacon on the prepared baking tray. Lay over a second layer of parchment on top of the bacon and put another baking tray on the top to keep the bacon flat and stop it curling up while it cooks. To get crispy bacon, cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Dip each slice of saffron bread into the egg and press down to soak up the egg, then turn over so that both sides are soaked equally. Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. When all the slices are fried, put them onto a baking tray and pop them in the oven with the bacon to keep hot until you’re ready to serve.
Put the crispy bacon on top of the saffron toast and drizzle with honey. Serve sprinkled with the chillies and coriander.
ASPARAGUS BAKED EGGS, POTATO RÖSTI AND FIELD MUSHROOMS
For those fresh spring mornings when asparagus is in season and calling out for runny yolks. These asparagus baked eggs are served with golden rösti, richly flavoured field mushrooms and a citrusy tarragon hollandaise sauce for a really wholesome vegetarian breakfast.
FEAST
Serves 8
300g Cornish asparagus, tough ends snapped off
50g butter
2 tbsp light olive oil
2 white onions, finely sliced
8 eggs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE POTATO RÖSTI
2kg potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
100g butter
FOR THE TARRAGON HOLLANDAISE
250g butter
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
juice of ¼ large lemon, or to taste
1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves
FOR