Sparkling winemakers are fond of reminding us that
Champagne — and its effervescent cousins, cava, sekt and spumante — should be
considered more than a special-occasion beverage. But although Champagne and sparkling
wines offer year-round enjoyment, they really are festive by nature. A gossamer-gold
blanc de blancs with pinpoint bubbles dancing merrily in the glass and
caressing the palate adds more verve to a special occasion than does a sedate
glass of ho-hum Chardonnay. But consider an unharried alternative: invite your
friends and family to a leisurely, midday Champagne brunch buffet. There is no
more elegant way to capture a momen than with a table laden with delicious food,
Champagne icing in buckets and logs crackling in the fireplace.
By working in advance, you can design a meal that doesn’t trap you in the
kitchen. Do as professional chefs do — prepare everything you can ahead of time,
choosing your menu so that the cooking can be done over a period of several
days. A buffet presentation is beautifully efficient because everyone serves
themselves. Although the look is lavish, the table practically sets itself —
the food, presented on generous platters and in bowls of varying sizes, shapes
and hues, serves as a colorful and edible decoration. For a welcoming scent,
simmer cinnamon sticks on the range. Hang an herb wreath on the door, place
pots of poinsettias in the foyer, fill the house with fresh flowers and garlands
of evergreens, put on festive music and you’ve set the mood for a memorable
affair.
Being organized is the key to hosting a successful brunch or party of any
kind. A checklist will keep you focused and marking off the tasks as you complete
them will help you stay calm.
After the guests have been invited, the next step is planning the menu. A
special meal — particularly one served early in the day — need not be complicated.
Strive for a menu that is both simple and elegant. Because of its late-morning
hour, there is plenty of time before the brunch to complete the preparations,
even allowing for dishes that have to be finished at the last moment. Don’t
be shy about asking a friend to lend a helping hand by stopping at the bakery
for a crusty loaf of bread, Danish and croissants on the way over.
Order the Champagne in advance from your favourite merchant. Ask about special,
by-the-case sale prices. You can’t go wrong with non-vintage French Champagne.
Look for houses such as Bollinger, Billecart-Salmon, Moët, Mumm, Perrier-Jouët,
Roederer, Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot.
Non-vintage California sparklers also make suitable brunch companions and
are easier on the wallet. Look for names like Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon,
Gloria Ferrer, Iron Horse, J, Mumm Napa Valley, Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger
and Schramsberg.
One bottle of Champagne will yield about six four-ounce pours. When computing
how much wine to buy, you should figure on two to three glasses per person.
If you have the room, organize the Champagne and food stations in separate
areas so neither serving place becomes too crowded. For purists, the idea of
diluting the world’s most celebrated beverage with fruit juice is heresy. Some
of your guests, however, may prefer mimosas, so have a pitcher of fresh-squeezed
orange juice on hand.
Arrange the buffet on the table in a circular pattern with a logical order
— main dish, vegetables, salad, bread. Stack large dinner plates at the starting
point of the buffet and put flatware and napkins at the end so guests’ hands
are free to fill up their plates.
Serve desserts from a coffee table so your company doesn’t have to revisit
the messy buffet table. On a heating stand on a side table, place the coffee
pot, plenty of cups and saucers, cream and sugar.
If preparing a homemade brunch sounds like too much work, consider take-out,
which you can transfer to your own serving dishes and garnish with fresh herbs,
edible flowers or a colorful confetti of finely chopped vegetables. (No one
will be the wiser, so don’t tell anyone you didn’t make it.) :) Order a fresh-roasted
ham or smoked turkey from a deli or specialty gourmet shop, warm it, carve it
and arrange it on a handsome platter. Make the bread pudding yourself and order
one or two extravagant desserts from your favorite neighbourhood pastry shop.
Get the morning rolling by greeting guests in the living room with a flute
of well-chilled Champagne, then move into the dining area for the main event.
Finish with steaming cups of coffee or tea and you have a wonderful brunch for
ten to twelve people.
If you do a little cooking when you can find a spare moment, the burden of
last-minute preparations is lightened considerably. The only thing left to do
when your guests arrive is to pour the Champagne.
Spicy Crab Cakes In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Stir in cheeses, chives and 1/4
cup bread crumbs. Gently stir in crab meat. Form tablespoonfuls of crab mixture
into 1/4"-thick cakes; place on a cookie sheet. Place remaining bread crumbs
on a sheet of waxed paper and coat cakes with the crumbs. Place cakes on a waxed
paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least one hour. Crab cakes can
be prepared up to this point and frozen. After defrosting, it may be necessary
to coat them in additional bread crumbs.
Preheat oven to 325°. Line cookie sheet with paper towels. In large skillet,
heat oil over medium-high heat. In hot oil, fry crab cakes a few at a time,
until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes in all. As cakes finish cooking,
remove from pan, drain on prepared baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Arrange
crab cakes on a serving platter and drizzle with red pepper sauce. Serves 12.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
In food processor, process red peppers with mayonnaise until smooth. Pour into
a plastic squeeze bottle. Squirt the sauce in a decorative pattern over the
crab cakes.
Salmon-Caviar Terrine The key to making this terrine is to keep the ingredients well chilled at
all times. The terrine makes a beautiful centerpiece for our brunch, but it
also can be served as an elegant first course.
1 pound thinly sliced smoked Norwegian or Scottish Salmon Process the smoked salmon cubes in a food processor until smooth, pulsing
on/off. With the machine running, add the cream cheese and then the butter,
several pieces at a time. Add the cream and process until smooth and fluffy,
pulsing on/off and stopping to scrape down the sides of the container. Stir
in lemon juice and herbs. Taste and add more lemon, if necessary; set mousse
aside.
To Assemble: Cover bottom of terrine with a layer of sliced salmon. Using a sandwich spreader
or metal spatula, spread on a thin layer of salmon mousse, then a thin layer
of caviar. Repeat layers until terrine is full. Last layer should be sliced
salmon. Fold plastic wrap over top of terrine and chill for at least 24 hours.
To unmold terrine, unfold plastic wrap on top. Invert terrine on a platter,
and, holding sides of plastic wrap taut, lift off terrine (you may need to tap
it once or twice). Cover loosely, and chill for at least four hours or overnight
before serving. The terrine can be prepared three days ahead of time.
Present the terrine whole on a serving platter. Garnish platter with baguette
toast, cucumber slices and lemon wedges. To serve, cut into 1/2"-thick slices
with a chef’s knife dipped in hot water. If desired, cut each slice in half
again diagonally, forming two triangles. Serve with toast, cucumber slices and
lemon wedges. Serves 12.
Tomato and Mozzarella Platter
Cover a round platter with lettuce leaves. Overlap alternating slices of tomatoes,
onions and cheese. May be refrigerated covered with plastic wrap for several
hours. Before serving, pour desired amount of vinaigrette over salad. Garnish
with basil leaves. Serves 8 to 10.
For the Vinaigrette: Combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until completely
blended. Slowly add oil in a steady stream, whisking continually. Stir in basil.
Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate for up to one week. Remove from refrigerator
one hour before serving and whisk thoroughly to make sure dressing is emulsified.
Makes 1 cup.
Frittata di Zucchini (Omelet with Zucchini) Roasted peppers, a variety of herbs or thinly sliced boiled new potatoes are
all good additions. The frittata can be prepared one to two hours ahead, covered
and served at room temperature. If you prefer it hot, it can be reheated in
a 300° oven.
4 tablespoons olive oil Preheat oven to 425°. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over moderately high
heat in an oven-proof, 9 1/2" non-stick skillet. Sauté onions until golden brown.
Add zucchini and sauté until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Take skillet
off the heat and remove onions and zucchini with a slotted spoon and reserve.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, half-and-half and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until well-blended.
Add the cheese, zucchini-onion mixture and parsley. Mix well. (The mixture may
be covered and refrigerated until ready to cook.) Add remaining oil to the skillet,
if necessary. Heat the oil over moderately high heat and add the egg mixture.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook without stirring until mixture begins
to set, about 3 minutes. Place skillet in oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until
frittata is set in center and slightly puffed. Loosen the frittata gently with
a rubber spatula. Place a plate over the pan, flip it over and turn the frittata
out. Cut into wedges. Serves 6 to 8.
New Orleans Style Bread Pudding
In New Orleans, where brunch remains as integral to life as Mardi Gras, bread
pudding continues to be popular. Serve on its own, with maple syrup or fruit
purée drizzled on top.
1 tablespoon softened butter Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla and spices. Butter
a 2-quart oven-proof casserole dish with 2 1/2" sides. Place 5 slices of the
bread on the bottom of the dish, sprinkle evenly with half the raisins and repeat
the step once more with a second layer. Pour the egg mixture over the bread.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 300°. Place the covered casserole
dish in a slightly larger pan with enough water to come halfway up the side
of the casserole, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an
additional 20 minutes (a knife inserted into the centre should come out clean).
Let the dish cool somewhat at room temperature but serve warm with a dusting
of powdered sugar. Serves 4 to 6.
2 large eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños
3 tablespoons snipped chives
3/4 cup fine, seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 pound fresh lump crab meat
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Caviar is tiny, salted roe, or eggs, from sturgeon. The most prized comes from
three species of sturgeon (the beluga, ossetra and sevruga) found in the Caspian
Sea. Top-quality caviar is labeled "malossol," meaning lightly salted. Experts
say fresh caviar should be served on points of unbuttered white bread toast.
Caviar is sometimes served with sour cream, chopped egg or lemon, but experts
say you ruin or mask the flavor of excellent caviar with these extras. Caviar
can be served "straight-up" for purists, but it does wonderful things to this
combination of salmon and cream cheese. In this case, the quality of the caviar
does not have to be the best grade, but the salmon should be of excellent quality.
Crispy potato pancakes topped with crème fraîche and a dollop of caviar also
make a delicious hors d’oeuvre.
1 pound smoked Norwegian or Scottish salmon or trimmings, cut in 1/2" cubes
1/4 pound chilled cream cheese, coarsely chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon each finely chopped chives, dill and parsley
6 to 7 ounces black caviar (the quality depends on your budget)
Line a 4-cup terrine or other rectangular mold with plastic wrap, leaving overhanging
edges that can be folded over top when terrine is full.
8 ripe but firm tomatoes, cut in 1/4"-thick slices crosswise
2 red onions (same size as the tomatoes), peeled and cut into thin slices crosswise
1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced
1 bunch basil leaves
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 loaf challah (egg bread) cut into 10 x 1/2" slices, crusts trimmed
1/2 cup golden raisins
Powdered sugar