Domini Kemp’s best ever brunch dishes will set you up for the weekend

Who doesn’t love brunch? To gorge on eggs, buttery everything, cool drinks and hot coffee; it’s always an ideal way to break bread and catch up.

Sometimes those who don’t devour bacon and sausages feel like they get a raw deal, so we’ve kept these recipes vegetarian. My favourite is the pineapple salad that accompanies the warm granola bars, and also the rhubarb bostock.

Admittedly, I’d never heard of bostock until recently - it's a cross between French toast and an almond croissant made with leftover bread - but I’m enjoying the simplicity of making them.

This flatbread recipe is like the love child of mushrooms on toast and white pizza with a fried egg and kale, and would also make an equally delicious mid-week supper to boot.

Artichoke cakes with hollandaise, celeriac remoulade and poached eggs

Serves 4, makes approximately 12 small cakes

Ingredients

For the artichoke cakes

3 large potatoes

230g jar artichoke purée

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Few splashes Tabasco

2 sticks celery, very finely diced

Small bunch chives, finely chopped

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 egg

For the crumb

4 eggs, beaten

100g panko breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil, for frying

For the hollandaise sauce

100g butter

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp lemon juice

Good pinch salt

For the celeriac remoulade

1 small celeriac, peeled and grated

2-3 heaped tbsp good quality mayonnaise

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 lemon, juice only

1 tbsp capers, chopped

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

To serve

4 eggs

White wine vinegar

2 English muffins, cut in half and lightly toasted

Small bunch chopped chives

Method

1. First, make the artichoke cakes. Scoop the flesh out of the skins – you want approximately 300g – and mash roughly. Discard the skins then mix well with the other ingredients. Shape into 12 small burger-shaped cakes and refrigerate until ready to fry - you could do this the night before to get ahead on prep if you like.

2. When ready to cook the cakes, preheat your oven to 180C. Set a pot of water on the stove over a medium heat. Add a little white wine vinegar then allow to come to a simmer.

3. Place the panko crumbs onto a large plate or tray, then whisk the eggs together in a bowl. Dip the cakes into crumbs, then dip in the egg and then back into the panko for a second coating of the crumbs. Heat up a generous amount of vegetable oil in a pan over a medium to high heat and shallow fry the cakes until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to the oven to heat through while you poach the eggs and make the hollandaise.

4. For the hollandaise sauce, it’s easy enough to make it in a food processor. First, melt the butter then set aside. Whiz the egg yolks in the processor and whilst the motor is still running on low, slowly stream in the melted butter. When most of the butter is added, season with the lemon juice and some salt, then finish off with the remaining butter. You can adjust the seasoning by sharpening it up with more lemon juice – or you can add a drop of very good white wine vinegar if you like. Make this just before serving and it will stay warm if you keep it over a small saucepan of hot water for about ten minutes. Enough time to poach the eggs! If it gets too thick, add a tablespoon or two of hot water.

5. Crack the eggs into the simmering water to poach. In the meantime, mix together all the ingredients for your celeriac remoulade and season to taste.

6. To serve, place one toasted muffin half onto each plate, then top with a spoon of the remoulade and the artichoke cakes. Gently place a poached egg on top of each stack then spoon over some hollandaise sauce. Scatter over the chopped chives, then serve.

Wild mushroom flatbreads with fried eggs and kale

Serves 4

I’ve used good quality shop-bought flatbreads here but if you can’t get your hands on decent ones, you can use naan or tortillas instead

Ingredients

100ml olive oil

400g wild mushrooms, sliced

Salt and pepper

200g crème fraîche

2 garlic cloves, peeled andcrushed

Few sprigs rosemary

200g kale

4 flatbreads

80g Parmesan, finely grated

150g feta

50g butter

4 eggs

Good pinch chilli flakes

Method

1. Heat half of the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then sauté the mushrooms until they start to wilt, soften and caramelise. Season really well with salt and pepper, then add the crème fraîche, garlic and rosemary. Cook until creamy and delicious, then set aside to cool. You can even do this overnight.

2. When you’re ready to finish the dish, preheat your oven to 180C.

3. Strip the stems from the kale and discard, which should leave you with about 100g torn leaves. Toss the kale in the remaining olive oil and season well, then spread out on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for about ten minutes until crisp, turning occasionally.

4. Lay the flatbreads on baking tray and spoon the mushroom mix on the base. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and feta, then bake for about 7-10 minutes until the cheese starts to melt.

5. In the meantime, melt the butter in a pan over a medium to high heat, then fry the eggs.

6. When the flatbreads are done, top with the kale and the eggs, then sprinkle over the chilli flakes and serve.

Rhubarb and lemon bostock

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g rhubarb, finely chopped, approximately 8 stalks

100g caster sugar

1 lemon, juice and zest

75g ground almonds

1 tbsp plain flour

50g granulated sugar

Good pinch baking powder

50g butter

2 egg yolks

Few drops vanilla extract

4 thick slices brioche, stale

Cream or labneh (see granola bar recipe), to serve

50g flaked almonds, lightly toasted, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the rhubarb, caster sugar and lemon juice and zest into a pot over a low to medium heat. Cook until soft and delicious, covering with a lid if needed, then set aside to cool. Don’t overcook, as it’s nice to keep some shape to it.

3. Mix the ground almonds, flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla together until well combined.

4. Place the brioche onto the baking sheet, then divide and spread the almond mix over each slice. Bake until golden, approximately 10 minutes, then top each with some rhubarb, keeping some aside for garnish, and give it one last blast in the oven. To serve, place each bostock onto a plate, then scoop on a little whipped cream or labneh, and the leftover rhubarb compote. Scatter over the ground almonds, then enjoy.

Warm granola bars with labneh and ginger pineapple salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the granola bars

85g honey

100g butter

2 tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g rolled oats

50g shredded coconut

For the ginger pineapple salad

2 oranges, peeled and chopped into chunks

1 pineapple, peeled and chopped into chunks

2 tbsp demerara or coconut sugar

1 lemon, zest and juice

Small knob ginger, peeled and finely grated

Small bunch basil, shredded

Coarse black pepper

For the labneh

500g Greek yoghurt

1-2 tbsp honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and line a 24cm square tin with parchment paper.

2. Ideally, start the labneh a few hours ahead. Line a sieve with muslin cloth or a tea towel then add the Greek yoghurt. Leave to strain for a for a few hours, then discard the excess liquid and you’ll be left with a thick ricotta-like yoghurt. Sweeten with some additional honey.

3. For the salad, mix all of the ingredients together, then set aside for an hour to let the flavours develop. Serve at room temperature.

4. To make the granola bars, place the honey, butter, peanut butter and vanilla into a pot over a low to medium heat. Allow to melt, while mixing to combine. Place the oats and coconut into a bowl then when the honey mix is smooth, pour over and mix well. Press the oat mix into the lined tin and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly, then serve with a scoop of the salad and a blob of the honeyed labneh.