Home Cooking. Rachel Allen
and the omelette flips over. As you do this, slide the omelette out of the pan and onto the plate, and serve immediately.
Variations
Alpine breakfast omelette: To the egg mixture add 25g (1oz) grated Emmental and Gruyère cheese, 25g (1oz) soft and creamy goat’s cheese and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped chives and beat all the ingredients together.
Courgette and herb omelette: Sauté 50g (2oz) finely diced courgette with 1 finely chopped clove of garlic and a small pinch of salt and pepper in 15g (½oz) of butter or 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes until soft and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool. Stir into the egg mixture along with 2 tablespoons of finely chopped herbs (such as mint, marjoram or basil).
Bacon and mushroom omelette: Stir 1 teaspoon of finely chopped chives into the egg mixture before cooking. Place 2 rashers of grilled bacon and 1 fried or roasted flat mushroom in the middle of the omelette before folding over. (This is a great way of using up leftover ingredients from a fried breakfast.)
Smoked salmon and goat’s cheese omelette: Add 25g (1oz) finely diced smoked salmon and 25g (1oz) soft, mild goat’s cheese (or cream cheese for an even milder flavour) to the middle of the omelette before folding over.
French toast
SERVES 4 · VEGETARIAN
The French call this pain perdu (‘lost bread’). It is made with slightly stale, leftover bread that you would otherwise throw out, but if you have only fresh bread to hand, leave it out overnight to dry out.
25g (1oz) butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp single or regular cream (or milk)
Pinch of salt
4 slices of white or brown bread
Icing sugar, for dusting
Honey or golden or maple syrup, to serve
1 Place a large, non-stick or cast-iron frying pan on a medium heat and add the butter. While it is melting, whisk the eggs with the cream or milk and salt in a wide, shallow bowl. Soak the bread in the egg mixture for a few seconds on each side and place in the hot pan.
2 Cook for 1–2 minutes on each side until deep golden in colour, then place on warm plates, dredge generously with icing sugar and serve with honey or golden or maple syrup drizzled over.
Variations
Spicy French toast: Add ground spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or mixed spice to the egg mix before soaking the bread.
Fruity French toast: Add 1 small mashed banana or 50g (2oz) mashed raspberries or strawberries to the egg mix.
Rhubarb muffins
MAKES 12 MUFFINS · VEGETARIAN
These are great for breakfast or as a snack at any time of the day. Use fresh rhubarb when it’s in season in spring or frozen rhubarb at other times. If it is already sliced, it needn’t be defrosted.
150g (5oz) soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
100ml (3½fl oz) buttermilk or soured milk (see tip on page 24)
100g (3½oz) rhubarb, finely diced
175g (6oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
12-hole muffin tin
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6. Line the muffin tin with paper cases.
2 Place 125g (4½oz) of the sugar, the sunflower oil, egg, vanilla extract and buttermilk or soured milk in a large bowl. Beat until well mixed, then stir in the rhubarb. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, and stir until all the ingredients are combined. Try to avoid over-mixing or the muffins will become tough.
3 Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, filling them three-quarters full with batter and then sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the batter in each muffin case.
4 Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 18–20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow to stand in the tin for a few minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool.
Spicy prune and apple muffins
MAKES 12 MUFFINS · VEGETARIAN
These are really delicious and filling first thing in the morning. They are also great for a snack or as a lunchbox treat.
275g (10oz) plain wholemeal flour
50g (2oz) rolled oats
125g (4½oz) soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground mixed spice
175g (6oz) pitted prunes, roughly chopped
1 eating or cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
250ml (9fl oz) buttermilk or soured milk (see tip below right)
50g (2oz) butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
12-hole muffin tin
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6. Line the muffin tin with paper cases.
2 Mix the flour, oats and sugar together in a large bowl and sift in the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice. Stir in the prunes and apple.
3 Beat the buttermilk or soured milk, butter and eggs together and pour into the dry ingredients, stirring to combine and to give a smooth batter. Try to avoid over-mixing or the muffins will become tough.
4 Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling them almost to the top. Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to stand in the tin for a few minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool.
Rachel’s tip
To make your own soured milk, gently heat some standard milk (to the quantity required for the recipe) until warm, then remove from the heat, add the juice of ½ lemon and leave at room temperature overnight. If you are allergic to dairy products, this recipe works well with soya or rice milk soured in the same way.
Boiled eggs with soldiers
SERVES 2 · VEGETARIAN
This is the simplest recipe in the world but definitely one of my favourite things to eat. I love boiled eggs either for breakfast or for a simple supper when there’s nothing else in the house — the perfect standby! Use the freshest eggs possible and ones cooked from room temperature rather than from the fridge, so they are less likely to crack.
2 eggs, at room temperature
4 slices of white or brown bread
25g (1oz) butter,