Brunch
923 recipes found

The Bramble
The bramble, invented in 1984 by Dick Bradsell, the patriarch of England’s cocktail uptick, at Fred’s Club in London’s SoHo, is essentially a short gin sour with a drizzle of crème de mûre, a French blackberry liqueur, over the top. Served on crushed ice, it gets a quick garnish of a lemon slice and, to be true to Bradsell’s original, two blackberries. In the winter there’s nothing to this, and the drink is great as is. But something as elemental as the bramble invites toying, and with summer’s berries arriving, you can up the ante in one of many.

Jack Rose
The Jack Rose is the classic cocktail that never got invited to the oldies reunion. While other sours, such as the daiquiri, the Daisy, the Sidecar and select others, are revered and reinterpreted in their dotage, this mainstay of the 1920s and ’30s has fallen so far out of circulation that few still know its name. More’s the pity, for when properly made it is one of the canon’s stronger pillars, and a perfect sip when the post-equinox winds set in. The drink is simply a sour made from apple brandy — or applejack, as it was known from Colonial times through Prohibition — with grenadine syrup as the sweetener. Its name is attributed to any number of colorful characters, including a famous gangster stool pigeon, but it most likely comes from the shortening of applejack and the dusty rose color the drink attains from the grenadine and citrus.

Bourbon Milk Punch
With a place of honor in the New Orleans drink pantheon alongside the Sazerac and the Ramos Gin Fizz, bourbon milk punch is enjoyed morning and night in the Crescent City, but most commonly at brunch. Restaurants and bars often pride themselves on their particular rendition. This one comes from the famed French 75 Bar in Arnaud’s restaurant in the French Quarter. It is easily whipped up before or after a meal, and offers near-immediate gratification.

Jamaican Margarita
Hibiscus started showing up in New York City cocktails around 2010, jazzing up drinks with its fuchsia hue and tropical perfume. This one, adapted from the bar at Hecho en Dumbo in the East Village, takes advantage of jarred hibiscus syrup and top-shelf silver tequila to create a kind of Jamaican-Mexican melange. The wild hibiscus blossom specified at the end of the recipe? Entirely optional!

Stone-Ground Grits With Poached Eggs and Shaved Summer Truffle

The Fitty Spot
For a Valentine, a cocktail made with rum — and a fulsome one — plays the obvious lead. This recipe calls for, Zacapa Centenario, a magnificent 23-year-old Guatemalan rum aged in an unusual Solera system employing both bourbon and sherry casks. Just as viable would be any of a dozen less pricey amber or añejo rums, like Pampero Aniversario, St. James Hors d’Age, Flor de Caña’s Centenario 12-year, Pyrat XO or Plantation’s 5-year Barbados. The drink also includes flavors of hibiscus, tangerine, lemon and pineapple.

Corpse Reviver #2
The Corpse Reviver #2 is one of a small family of drinks originally concocted as hangover remedies, of which Harry Craddock, cataloging them in the “Savoy Cocktail Book” in 1930, wrote, “To be taken before 11 a.m., or whenever steam and energy are needed.” (He also famously cautioned: “Four of these taken in swift succession will quickly unrevive the corpse again.”) You can occasionally find it on cocktail lists. But there’s no point in waiting on chance: learn to make this.

The Andorra
This cocktail, by Dan Greenbaum of The Beagle in Manhattan, plays Armagnac's subtle marzipan against the salty, mineral tang of Manzanilla sherry. A deceptive drink, it looks in the glass like an innocuous saucer of pinot grigio, but enrobes the senses with nuts, flowers and confectionary. There’s a spritz of orange oil atop to knock it all even: a perfect dessert tot.

Grenadine Syrup
Making grenadine, the pomegranate-based simple syrup that was favored in many cocktails in the 19th and early 20th centuries, is really quite simple. And homemade is a vast improvement on the red-dyed sugar water in markets. Once you’ve rounded up the materials, 15 minutes’ light work will make enough to last you.

Summer Squash Gratin With Pickled Rye Bread Crumbs
This rustic casserole was first developed using a specialty pickled rye bread from Carissa’s The Bakery in East Hampton, N.Y. The same effect is achieved in this recipe by mixing fresh rye bread crumbs (or even white bread crumbs) with a splash of pickle juice. Summer squash and zucchini are layered with caramelized onions, Gruyère and a handful of the bread crumbs, which help absorb excess moisture. If you can find patty pan squash, it makes for a particularly beautiful presentation.

The Spiced Pear Fizz
The biggest mistake people tend to make when setting up for parties is to try to duplicate an actual bar, with a bottle of scotch, some tequila, a bourbon, some gin, a fancy vodka, etc., alongside some bottled mixers. You can’t turn your living room into a bar, nor can you please everybody, but you can gain massive points by making the bold move: choose one great cocktail and declare: “This is what we’re drinking tonight.” This Spiced Pear Fizz is a great choice for the holidays. Mull some wintry spices overnight in the simple syrup, and from there fashion this delicious concoction. Top it with a good-quality prosecco or a nonvintage brut Champagne for a spot-on seasonal drink.

Feta-and-Herb Phyllo Tart
Kathy Tsaples, the author of the cookbook “Sweet Greek Life: My Shared Table,” inspired this savory tart. The quality of phyllo dough varies hugely from one brand to another. It’s particularly important here to get a good-quality phyllo as there is so much of it. This is a sort of quiche with a twist, with the phyllo both acting as a casing and adding the extra crispness you get from blind baking. It’s a meal in itself, served with a simple salad. If you don’t have a tart pan handy, use a 9-inch cake pan.

Spanish Tortilla With Tomato-Pepper Salad
A Spanish potato tortilla is an egg dish unlike any other. It doesn't resemble the French omelet, which is loose and wobbly. Nor is quite like an Italian frittata, which is puffy and custardy. Instead, a tortilla is a solid cake with just enough egg to bind the soft, sliced potatoes. The first step to making it is to gently cook sliced potatoes and onions in plenty of olive oil. And plenty means at least a cup, or maybe two. It sounds like a lot but most of it stays in the pan (and you can reuse it). Other than adding great flavor, the oil turns the potatoes velvety and luscious. Just make sure the heat is low enough so the potatoes and onions cook but don’t brown very much, though a few darkened spots are okay. In Spain, a tortilla is a tapas staple nibbled with drinks. But it’s also delightful for brunch, dinner or lunch, served either warm or at room temperature.

Savory Bread Pudding With Artichokes, Cheddar and Scallions
Tangy marinated artichokes star in this cheesy, golden-topped casserole, which is layered with scallions, Cheddar and baguette cubes that get crisp at the edges. Look for the best-quality marinated artichoke hearts, then taste them before using. If they seem very acidic, give them a rinse and pat them dry before proceeding.

Skillet Spanakopita
Buttery, bright and herbaceous, this recipe is a faster take on the Greek spinach and feta pie and far less effort than forming individual triangular spanakopita pastries. A combination of stovetop cooking and oven baking ensures that the filling stays moist while the crust gets crisp. First, the spinach is cooked down in a mixture of butter, garlic and leeks until it wilts enough to release any moisture. Then, the filling is prepared, and the spanakopita assembled in the skillet. Give the phyllo a head start on the stovetop, then transfer to the oven so the spinach filling cooks through at the same time the phyllo becomes flaky. The timing may be precise for the cooking, but you can eat it whenever you want: This spanakopita is just as good at room temperature as it is warm.

Swiss Chard Slab Pie
This crowd-pleasing recipe by Justin Chapple comes from Kristin Donnelly's book "Modern Potluck" and makes the most of Swiss chard, using both leaves and stems to fill a vegetarian slab pie with a buttery, peppery crust. That filling, tangy with reduced white wine and bound with sour cream, tastes just as good warm as it does cold, and can feed a crowd any time of day. Note: Wash leaves and stems thoroughly to avoid any traces of grit in the finished pie.

French Potato Pancakes
When the chef Daniel Rose was growing up, his mother would make potato pancakes the first and the last three nights of Hanukkah. These latkes are inspired by the French classic pommes Darphin, but the addition of onions puts them in a category all their own.

Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelet)
Tamagoyaki, a Japanese staple, is made by carefully rolling several thin layers of cooked egg into a rectangular omelet, which creates a soft and delicate texture. Traditionally, it’s made in a special tamagoyaki pan, but this version also works with an 8-inch nonstick skillet. There are sweet and savory variations, and this recipe falls somewhere in between the two: The soy sauce, mirin and dashi pack it with umami, while the sugar adds a subtle sweetness. The technique can be challenging at first, but do your best to keep each layer consistent in color and each fold parallel to the last. Don’t worry about little tears; they’ll be covered up with the next layer.

Quick-Pickled Vegetable Salad
The best salads don’t have to be laborious. This one benefits from pickled red onions, which take only minutes to make and can perk up salads, seared meats and vegetables, pasta and even grilled cheese. Make a double batch, and you’ll brighten future meals in a flash. And, for excellent flavor in every bite, season the ingredients before combining, bearing in mind that celery, carrots and firmer vegetables need far more salt and pepper than delicate salad greens.

Sablé Breton Galette With Berries
The sablé is a sweet shortbread that’s buttery and noticeably salty. In this version, the dough is purposely very soft (it’s too soft to roll and cut for cookies) so that it can be patted and pressed into a tart pan, baked, and used as the base of a beautiful berry dessert. You can spread the galette with lemon curd and top it with sliced strawberries or whole raspberries, but it is equally good with whipped cream or ice cream in place of the curd. In fact, it’s good on its own — just cut it into wedges. If you’re not serving a group, leave the galette plain, and when you need a slice or three of tart, cut the galette and top it on the spot.

Orange and Radish Salad
The marriage of radish and orange punches way above its weight as a salad. This version is based on one James Beard collected. Alice Waters, the founder of Chez Panisse, has a recipe, too. So does Paula Wolfert, who dedicated her nine cookbooks to Mediterranean cuisine. Their inspiration came from countless Moroccans who have this salad in regular rotation, often with orange flower water. This recipe leaves it out, opting for a simpler but still refreshing salad that requires careful, precise preparation of the oranges and the radishes to make it shine. If you like, add a pinch of cinnamon to the dressing or sprinkle a bit on top.

Ham-Cured, Smoked Pork With Cognac-Orange Glaze
Think of this cured, smoked pork loin as ham you can make in a hurry, with 2 days’ curing time and an hour or so of smoking, as opposed to the weeks or even months that a traditional ham takes. Plus, the loin has no bones, so it’s a snap to carve. For the best results, use a heritage pork loin, like Berkshire or Duroc. Depending on your grill, the pork and the weather, smoking time may be as short as 1 hour or as long as 1 1/2 hours. The orange juice in this Cognac-citrus glaze cuts the saltiness of the cure, while the Cognac makes a nice counterpoint to the wood smoke. Besides, brown sugar and orange marmalade go great with salty ham.

Challah Bread Pudding
This bread pudding is a dream of a dish to use up leftover challah, babka, brioche or a mix of day-old breads. (You can even add dry cake!) Bake this as soon as it’s assembled — useful for last-minute brunch — or dip each piece of the bread in the vanilla cream sauce ahead of time, then prop the pieces vertically in an attractive baking dish and refrigerate, so all you have to do the next day is pop the pudding in the oven before bringing it to the table. Not too sweet, the bittersweet chocolate and poppy seeds add a nice touch and taste without overwhelming the vanilla and cinnamon. Your guests will gobble this dish up.
