Gordon Peter - Eating Well Everyday

Apologies for this long recipe but I thought you should learn to make hollandaise sauce, which is easier than you think!

FOR 4

150 g butter, melted and kept warm in a small jug at the back of the stove

3 tbsp lemon juice

10 eggs

1tbsp hot water

2 litres water

100 ml white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, for poaching

34 large potatoes (about 900 g)

1 handful picked flat parsley

3 tbsp snipped chives

salt and freshly ground black pepper

butter or oil, to fry

8 rashers bacon

Preheat oven to 100C.

First make the hollandaise. Make sure the butter is warm. Choose a metal bowl that will fit inside a slightly smaller diameter saucepan and bring 3 cm of water to a rapid simmer its important that the bottom of the bowl doesnt touch the water as it could curdle the sauce.

Place the lemon juice, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk in the bowl.

Whisk the egg mixture in the bowl over the simmering water you can set it at a gentle boil so long as you whisk it continuously.

Once the egg begins to thicken, resembling lightly whipped cream, take the saucepan off the heat and then very slowly drizzle in the warm butter, whisking continuously until it has all been emulsified. Lastly, whisk in 1 tbsp very hot water, which will help stabilize it.

Keep covered in a warm place while you finish the dish.

Fill a deep pot with at least 2 litres of water and bring to the boil. Add 100 ml white vinegar or cider vinegar per 2 litres water, put the lid on and keep at a simmer. (Note: never add salt when poaching eggs.)

Peel the potatoes and grate on a coarse grater, squeezing out as much liquid as you can and mix potato with the parsley and half the chives. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four.

Heat a pan with a little butter or oil over moderate heat. Press each mound of potato, which should be smaller than a saucer, firmly into the pan to keep the rsti tight. Cook until golden, then carefully flip over and cook on the other side. If not cooked through when golden they can be finished in the oven.

Grill or fry the bacon and keep warm in the oven.

To poach the eggs, bring the pot of water back to a gentle boil and move the pot just off centre on the element. Give the water a stir to create a gentle whirlpool, then crack an egg into a cup and gently drop it into the water. Cook the remaining eggs the same way, working quite quickly so all the eggs are cooked to the same degree they take around 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs to a warm shallow dish.

To serve, sit a rsti on a warmed plate, lay the bacon across and sit two eggs on top. Give the hollandaise a gentle whisk then spoon it over and sprinkle with the reserved chives.

More often than not this classic North African dish (which is now also a classic of modern Israel thanks to the Tunisian Jews who settled there) is vegetarian and, much as I am happy to eat it that way, I prefer this spiced-up version containing lamb although simply omit it if you prefer.

FOR 4

3 tbsp olive oil

/ tsp cumin seeds

/ tsp sesame seeds

2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 red capsicums, deseeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

/ tsp paprika or cayenne pepper

150 g minced lean lamb (optional)

salt

6 ripe tomatoes, diced (or 1 400 g tin chopped tomatoes and a little tomato paste)

4 eggs

50 ml plain yoghurt

1 small handful picked parsley, mint and coriander

Ideally you want to serve this in the dish you cook it in, so a large frying pan with a lid is good. Heat up the pan and add the olive oil, cumin and sesame seeds.

Once they begin to sizzle, add the onions, capsicums, garlic and paprika or cayenne pepper. Saut until the vegetables collapse, stirring frequently.

Add the mince (if using) and a little salt. Cook until the lamb crumbles, stirring all the time.

Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then cook over moderate heat for 68 minutes, at which point much of the juice will have evaporated.

Make four impressions in the mixture and break an egg into each hole.

Spoon the yoghurt on, put a lid on the pan and cook until the eggs have begun to set, but still have runny yolks.

Scatter with the shredded herbs and serve immediately straight from the pan.

This simple breakfast dish is based on the tasty Spanish Pan con Tomate (also known as Pan a la Catalana), which is much like Italian bruschetta but with tomato rubbed on as well. Often eaten as a snack, it makes a great base for a breakfast fry-up with a Spanish theme just make sure the tomatoes are really ripe so they collapse on the toast.

FOR 4

4 eggs

500 g cooking chorizo, peeled and sliced 1 cm thick

extra virgin olive oil

4 slices good, firm bread (like sourdough)

12 cloves garlic, peeled

2 very ripe tomatoes, cut in half

2 handfuls salad leaves

Soft-boil the eggs cook in a pot of boiling water for 4 minutes, then place in iced water (or under cold running water) for a few minutes and peel them.

Saut the sliced chorizo in a little olive oil until golden and sizzling, then keep warm.

Toast the bread and rub one side with the garlic. Drizzle each slice with 1 tsp olive oil and rub the tomato into it, crushing it as you go (hence the need for firm bread white fluff will break up). The end result is mashed tomato on bread.

To serve, pile on the salad leaves, eggs cut in half, chorizo and cooking fats delicious!

This makes a lovely weekend brunch dish, but for a simpler breakfast dish serve the fritters with grilled, thickly cut bacon or sausage. If you cant find fresh cherries, canned or frozen ones also work really well.

FOR 6

120 g flour

30 g polenta

/ tsp baking powder

/ tsp baking soda

/ tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp sugar

/ tsp salt