The long weekend calls for lazy mornings. In our house, that means brunch. For me, brunch needs two core ingredients; eggs and starch. Without these, I’m not getting through the day. Brunch really took off in Ireland in the past decade, with many places offering an earlier opening time that covered the gap between breakfast and lunch.
In my opinion, nobody has served brunch better than John Wyer and the Forest Avenue team in Dublin. Unfortunately they haven’t done it for more than 10 years at their always consistent canal-side location. They used to open on Sundays from 10am, serving a five-course menu that always included coffee and a baked good to start, a yoghurt course, eggs, meat and a simple dessert. Not only was it a great way to empty the fridges at the end of the week, it was a more cost-effective way to sample one of the city’s best chef’s cooking. Hopefully it will return some day.
I remember it fondly as the first date location with my now wife. Typically disorganised, I landed without a reservation. Thankfully, John found me a table after a short wait and saved my blushes.
Recipe-wise I have kept it simple this weekend while remaining true to my eggs and starch values.
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First up are classic Turkish eggs with the curveball of Spanish chorizo. These are served with sourdough to mop everything up. By nature, Turkish eggs are always served with flavoured yoghurt. Thankfully we have some of the best yoghurt in the world here in Ireland, so I would encourage you to use it up.
The second dish involves using up cooked potato to form the traditional rosti. I’ve added some sauerkraut to the mix to add extra interest. The acid really works with the potato and cuts through the richness of the poached eggs. A splash of Tabasco on the eggs is always a winner – after all, who doesn’t need a little spice in their lives?
[ Recipe: Turkish eggs with chorizo, yoghurt and sourdoughOpens in new window ]
[ Recipe: Potato and cabbage rosti with poached eggsOpens in new window ]
