Around the world, around the table is a game I often play with my kids: they choose a place they want to go and we “travel” there with a meal. Breakfast and brunch are particularly good ways to get there. This might be because their enthusiasm levels tend to be at their highest mid-morning, but, more universally, it might also have something to do with the presence and prominence of the wonderfully familiar egg. Whichever direction a brunch dish goes in, the fact that the ingredients are often held together by a few simple eggs means we get to enjoy all the adventures of travel along with the comforting familiarity of home.
Olive oil courgettes and eggs with potatoes (pictured top)
This is inspired by mfarakeh, a Levantine courgette and egg dish that my colleague Bana Mahasneh introduced me to. It’s usually made with courgettes or a mixture of potatoes and courgettes, and is served for breakfast or lunch. In this version, I have separated the potatoes to keep them crunchy; if you prefer, omit them altogether to shorten the cooking time.
Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4-6
500g king edward potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
Fine sea salt and black pepper
180ml olive oil
600g courgettes, trimmed and cut into ½cm-thick rounds
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
7-8 spring onions (110g), trimmed and finely sliced
80g coriander, finely chopped
6 eggs, beaten
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 lemon
4-6 pittas, to serve (optional)
Put the potatoes in a large saute pan, add plenty of well-salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, until the potatoes have softened, then drain and leave to steam-dry for five minutes.
Wipe out the pan, add 60ml oil and put it on a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, return the potatoes to the pan with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, then saute, shaking the pan occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp and golden. Tip the potatoes and any oil from the pan into a bowl.
Return the pan to the heat, add the remaining 120ml olive oil and, once it’s hot, add the courgettes and a half-teaspoon of salt. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelised – some courgette slices should still hold their shape and the rest will have collapsed slightly. Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute, until fragrant, then add three-quarters of the spring onions and coriander, and cook for a minute more, until the herbs have softened.
Whisk a half-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper into the eggs, then pour them over the courgettes. Leave to cook undisturbed for 30 seconds, until the eggs start to set, then gently fold over the contents of the pan to encourage them to set in soft curds. Take off the heat and transfer to a shallow, lipped platter.
Stir the remaining spring onion and coriander, the chilli and a tablespoon of lemon juice into the potato bowl, then spoon half this mix on top of the eggs. Serve with the rest of the potatoes in a bowl on the side, pittas, if using, and with an extra squeeze of lemon over the eggs.
Curried omelette with tomato salsa
This is derived from the Goan ros omelette, which is often served at street food stalls with a soft roll for breakfast.Here, I’ve used buttery, flaky parathas to mop things up, but use whatever bread or flatbread you like. The curry base can be made a day ahead, if you like, and also scales up easily if you want to make more. It’s also great with other proteins, such as prawns, fish or tofu.
Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
105ml olive oil
3-4 shallots, peeled and cut into thin rounds (280g)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
30g fresh coriander, 5g leaves set aside whole, the rest roughly chopped
3 mild green chillies, 1 finely sliced, the other 2 split in half lengthways
2½ tsp hot madras curry powder
400g tomatoes, cut into 1½cm pieces
4 tbsp coconut milk, from 1 small tin – shake the tin well before opening
Fine sea salt
4 eggs
1½ tbsp lemon juice
4-6 shop-bought parathas, or other flatbread, to serve
Put 75ml of the oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat. Add 200g of the sliced shallots, one of the crushed garlic cloves, 10g of the chopped coriander, both split chillies and the curry powder, and cook, stirring from time to time, for seven minutes, until the shallots soften.
Add half the tomatoes, cook for three minutes, until they start to break down, then stir in three tablespoons of the coconut milk and a half-teaspoon of salt and cook for another two minutes, until the oil starts to separate. Pour in 200ml water, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, for five or six minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Meanwhile, put a tablespoon of oil in a 20cm frying pan on a medium heat. Whisk the eggs with the remaining crushed garlic, 15g of the remaining chopped coriander and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Once the oil is hot, pour in the egg mixture and cook for a minute, until the base sets. Using a spatula, release the edges of the omelette from the pan, so the unset egg on top flows underneath and starts to cook and set. Repeat for about three minutes, until there is only a very thin layer of uncooked egg on top of the omelette. Using the spatula to help you, carefully roll up the omelette a bit like a roulade, then take off the heat.
Spoon the curry base (warmed through, if need be) into a serving bowl and place the omelette on top.
Put the remaining tablespoon of oil in a bowl with the remaining shallots, the sliced chilli and the remaining tomatoes, then stir in the lemon juice and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Spoon a third of this mix on top of the omelette. Spoon the last tablespoon of coconut milk all over the omelette, scatter over the remaining 5g coriander leaves and serve with the parathas and the rest of the tomato mix alongside.