Assemble the troops for a hearty Anzac Sunday brunch
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Menu
Cinnamon Porridge with Maple Fried Apples
Bacon & Sausage Skewers with Quick Tomato Relish
BLT Stacks with Feta Mayonnaise
Seared Stone Fruit with Nut Dressing & Yoghurt
Banana & Walnut Bread
Caramel Anzac Slice
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Work plan:
Whether you cook just a few brunch dishes or provide this whole menu for your guests, much of the work can be done in advance and any last-minute jobs – such as simmering the porridge or assembling the BLT stacks – are quick and simple.
2-3 days ahead: Make tomato relish. Bake banana bread and Anzac slice.
Night before: Prepare skewers. Make feta mayonnaise for BLT.
A few hours ahead: Sauté apples. Cook fruit in nut dressing.
Just before serving: Cook porridge and reheat apples. Grill skewers. Prepare BLT stacks. Warm fruit and nut dressing. Toast banana bread.
Cinnamon Porridge with Maple Fried Apples
This is porridge gourmet-style: creamy, sweet and delectably spicy.
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Porridge:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups water
- 3-4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Maple apples:
- 2 apples
- 25g butter
- ¼ cup each: maple syrup, water
- Cream for serving
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Porridge: Combine the rolled oats, milk, water, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a heavy-based saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved then simmer for 1-2 minutes until thick and creamy. (Porridge is best cooked just before serving.)
Maple apples: Halve unpeeled apples, remove cores and cut into wedges. Heat butter in a frying pan, add apple wedges and sauté over moderate heat until coloured. Add maple syrup and water and simmer 1-2 minutes to soften apples. (Apples can be sautéed a few hours ahead if desired and gently reheated.)
Serve porridge in warmed bowls topped with warm maple apples and a swirl of runny cream. Serves 4-6
Bacon and Sausage Skewers with Quick Tomato Relish
These skewers are great for a crowd as they look impressive but are very easy to do. If you’re concerned that guests may try to eat the bay leaves, wrap soft young sprigs of thyme or rosemary inside the bacon instead.
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- 12 wooden skewers
- 12 thin pre-cooked chipolatas or frankfurters
- 12 narrow slices streaky bacon
- 12 bay leaves
- Olive oil spray
Tomato relish:
- 400g can diced peeled tomatoes
- 1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped*
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
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Place skewers in water to soak for 10 minutes. Preheat a grill or large frypan.
Thread 1 chipolata, 1 bacon slice and 1 bay leaf on to each skewer. Do this by piercing one end of a bacon slice on to a skewer, threading on a sausage length- ways then wrapping the bacon around the sausage, enclosing a bay leaf, and securing the bacon at the top of the skewer. Spray with olive oil. Grill over medium heat until golden and bacon is crisp. Serve with relish. Makes 12
Relish: Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer rapidly for 8-10 minutes until thickened. Season to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 1¼ cups
* Leftover anchovies can be stored for up to 2 months in the fridge by keeping them submerged in olive oil and in an airtight container. Use some to make delicious home-made tapenade (see February’s NZ House & Garden).
Seared Stone Fruit with Nut Dressing and Yoghurt
Using a ridged pan, as we did, makes attractive grill marks on the fruit but, if you want to save dishes, just sear them in the same frying pan that the dressing will be made in. Look for vanilla sugar in the spice section at supermarkets.
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4 each: nectarines, plums, peaches
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2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
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Greek yoghurt to serve
Dressing:
- 30g butter
- 2 oranges, finely grated zest and ½ cup juice
- ½ cup chopped mixed nuts, eg pistachios, almonds, pecans
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom or rose water (optional)
- ¼ cup water
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Halve fruit and remove stones. Sprinkle the flesh side with vanilla sugar. Heat a lightly oiled grill pan or frying pan over moderate-high heat, add fruit and sear until coloured.
Dressing: Warm butter and orange zest in a sauté or frying pan, add nuts and stir over moderate heat for a few minutes until toasted. Stir in orange juice, honey, orange blossom or rose water and water.
Add seared fruits to pan and simmer 2-3 minutes until fruit is tender and sauce is syrupy. (Fruits can be prepared 1-2 hours ahead and gently reheated just before serving.)
Serve warm stone fruits with a dollop of yoghurt and the warm nut dressing drizzled over. Serves 4
Banana and Walnut Bread
Lovely eaten fresh and moist, this loaf is just as delicious when toasted, served with butter and dusted with icing sugar.
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150g butter, softened
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¾ cup brown sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 eggs
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2 very ripe medium-sized bananas (about 200g unpeeled weight)
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2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
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2 tablespoons milk
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1¼ cups flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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½ cup walnut pieces |
Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease a large loaf tin (about 12cm x 23cm).
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well between each.
Mash the bananas and mix them with orange juice and milk. Sift together flour, baking powder and soda and add half the walnuts (save the larger pieces for the top). Fold the banana mixture and the dry ingredients alternately into the butter mixture.
Spoon batter into tin, smooth top and dot with remaining walnuts. Bake 30-40 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin 10-15 minutes before turning out on to a rack.
Slice and serve with butter. Makes 1 loaf, serves 6-8
BLT Stacks with Feta Mayonnaise
This fabulously tasty combination looks as good as anything you’ll find in a classy cafe but is really just a simple matter of assembling quality ingredients.
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Feta mayonnaise:
BLTs:
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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12 rashers middle bacon
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3 large tomatoes, sliced
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1 red onion, sliced into rings
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6 thick slices sourdough loaf
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2 small cos or butter crunch lettuce hearts
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Lemon or lime-infused olive oil and black pepper to serve
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Strips of lemon zest for garnish (optional) |
Feta mayonnaise: Combine feta, mayonnaise and lemon juice and season well. (Mayonnaise can be prepared a few hours ahead. Cover and keep chilled until needed.)
BLTs: Heat oil in a frying pan and cook bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside somewhere warm.
Sear tomato and red onion slices in the same pan. Season with salt and pepper. Toast the sourdough slices.
To serve, spread toast generously with mayonnaise and top with lettuce leaves, bacon, tomatoes and onion rings. Drizzle BLT stacks with infused oil, garnish with lemon zest and grind over some black pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6
Caramel Anzac Slice
A shortcake base, caramel filling and an oaty Anzac biscuit-style topping make for a delicious slice that’s perfect to serve with a late morning or afternoon cuppa.
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Base:
Caramel filling:
Topping:
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Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a 20cm x 30cm slice tin or shallow glass baking dish with baking paper.
Base: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and sifted flour and baking powder. Press into tin using floured fingers as the mixture will be soft. Bake 10-12 minutes until pale golden brown.
Caramel: Place the condensed milk, butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and thickened. Spread over the warm base.
Place topping ingredients in a large bowl and rub in butter with fingertips until crumbly. Sprinkle crumble over caramel and pat down gently. Bake 15-18 minutes until golden and bubbling. Cool in tin before cutting into slices.
Slice will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Makes about 24 pieces
Story: Jo Wilcox
Photographs: Aaron McLean
Stylist: Claudia Kozub
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