Darren Purchese - Chefs Eat Breakfast Too: A Pros Guide to Starting the Day Right

Basics.
(A GOOD START)

Eggs.
(+ MORE)

Bowls.
(A BIT FRUITY)

Sandwiches.
(+ OTHER WRAPPED THINGS)

Bressert.
(YOU SWEET LITTLE THING)

From the moment I first met Darren on a cold winters morning back in 2009 and he offered me one of his candied confections, making my nervous system tingle with excitement, I knew that I needed this man in my life. As a self-professed sweet tooth, I was aware that I had met the messiah of all things sugary and sweet.

When you taste Darrens cooking, you can taste his passion and love for the ingredients his profound understanding of food and his respect for each element oozes from every mouthful. I have never witnessed a chef so committed to bringing joy to people through his food the way Darren does. For my daughters first birthday party he created a chocolate fairy garden that blew the whole room away. Everyone was speechless. Each element was crafted so beautifully and curated with such love it was so perfect I didnt want anyone to touch it. Every time my daughter went near it, I tried to distract her with a carrot stick!

Having worked in breakfast radio and television for many years, I am often reduced to eating my breakfast from a cardboard box, so when I heard Darren was writing a book of breakfast recipes I yelped with joy. Never again will I have to eat dry toast or lumpy porridge, because the master of all things yummy is sharing his wealth of delicious breakfast treats with everyone.

Thank you Darren for always putting one very special ingredient in all your recipes and everything you create: love.

Fifi Box

Tired of dry toast? Bored with soggy cereal? Wanna make breakfast like that so hot right now cafe down the road? Well, youve come to the right place. Going to one of those cafes on a Sunday morning is like the new Saturday night; in fact, there IS no going out on Saturday night anymore, cos if you sleep in and arrive at the local brekkie hotspot after 8.30 am, youll probably end up queuing for lunch! Who needs the hassle? Why not stay in those PJs and save that cash. Make your own Insta-worthy breakfast at home and dazzle friends and family with your new-found breakfast skills. How? This book has all you need to start whipping up breakfasts to die for.

I have always loved breakfast; its definitely one of my favourite meals of the day to eat AND cook for. I have cooked many breakfasts professionally in my time, from being brekkie chef at some of the top hotels in London to making omelettes en masse in France, to toasties here in Oz and lots more in between. Although I have picked up tips, tricks and some exotic flavour combinations on my travels, I still have a fondness for brekkie classics, so here youll find recipes such as the Perfect classic omelette, Crumpets and Buttermilk pancakes, as well as dishes such as Thai beef tartare w fried eggs and Chicken congee w crispy doughnuts.

It really is worth going that extra mile for whats often referred to as the most important meal of the day. And, these days, there really are no rules about what you can eat: fish, meat, eggs, fruit, veg even bressert (breakfast and dessert) is now a thing Youre welcome.

So get your day off to a great start and who knows what you can achieve. Set that alarm and put the kettle on, get cracking (pun intended) and open up a new world of brekkie possibilities. To my mind, this is the ONLY cookbook worth getting out of bed for.

Darren

*This book uses 15 ml ( fl oz) tablespoons; cooks with 20 ml ( fl oz) tablespoons should be scant with their tablespoon measurements.

It also uses metric cup measurements, i.e. 250 ml for 1 cup; in the US a cup is 8 fl oz, just smaller, and American cooks should be generous in their cup measurements; in the UK a cup is 10 fl oz and British cooks should be scant with their cup measurements.

The best thing about breakfast is you dont really need fancy and expensive kitchen equipment. I recommend investing in these items but you wont need much more.

Digital thermometer

Take all the guesswork out of cooking times and cook with confidence. I use a digital thermometer for ease, and they are relatively inexpensive too. They are great for cooking caramels and syrups, for gauging oil temperatures when frying, and for savoury applications such as testing the doneness of meat.

Microplane

I seriously could not live without one of these. I use them multiple times at work every day, and also when Im cooking at home. They are great for zesting citrus rind and grating cheese (especially parmesan), and awesome for grating cloves of garlic instead of having to chop them.

Non-stick medium saucepans

These are perfect for scrambled eggs and poached eggs.

Digital scales

If there is a specific weight needed for a recipe, dont guess it, weigh it. Youll never look back once you start using these.

Mouli

This is a type of food mill with a handle that turns clockwise and coarsely blends soups, sauces and pures. I love using it for tomato sauces and ketchup because you dont have to peel the tomatoes, you can just push the mixture through it for a thick sauce.

Heat-resistant spatulas

These silicone spatulas are super handy for scraping mixtures out of bowls, leaving little to no waste. Or use them like wooden spoons for stirring when cooking. They are cheap and last virtually forever. To clean, just throw them in the dishwasher.

Omelette pan

I have a pan at home that I only use for omelettes, and I look after it by cleaning it by hand and not scratching the surface with anything abrasive. That way I know I will get perfect results every single time.

Piping (icing) bags

These are handy for all that cheffy stuff that goes on, such as filling doughnuts with cream, piping batter into muffin tins or for detailed work such as piping the crosses onto hot cross buns.