Gallic Kitchen Finan Haddie
We all think of kedgeree, featuring smoked fish, as one of the great brunch dishes, so lazy brunch lovers who want to buy it rather than bake it should know that you can buy Sarah Webb's finan haddie quiches at the Saturday morning Temple Bar Market, and when I was last there they were selling like hot cakes, perfect late-morning snacks for the shoppers. Webb uses the finan haddock smoked by Frank Hedderman, and her quiche is a brilliant meld of fish, spuds and scallions on the thinnest pastry.
One of these, and half a bottle of bubbly, and you would be happy as a sandboy. They cost £2 each.
And if you are in the market, then why not buy some finan haddie from Hedderman, and make your own kedgeree?
It can be just the simplest thing, a kedgeree with finan haddie, and here is the way Jennifer Brennan does it in her book, Curries And Bugles: you simply poach the fish until it flakes easily, then add it to some warm, cooked rice, stir in a pinch of nutmeg and some finely chopped parsley and salt and pepper with a dash of herb vinegar, stir all together, make sure it is thoroughly warmed through, and serve. The Mermaid Cafe also serves Frank's finan haddie with horseradish.
Boilie Cheese And Tomato
When we cooked Ben Gorman's sourdough pancakes, we made some savoury ones by thinly slicing some tomatoes, and serving these with a scoop of Boilie soft goat's cheese with a drizzle of olive oil. You simply slice off a piece of pancake, slide in a slice of tomato, a knife-full of Boilie and then roll it up and mop up some of the olive oil. Boilie has the knack of making even the simplest things seem special, and is available from shops and supermarkets everywhere.
Lox And Bagels
Another idea for using Boilie is to buy some of the onion breads sold in the Bretzel Bakery in Dublin's Portobello, and warm them through, then split them and pack in some Boilie cheese and slivers of smoked salmon. If you want to make the classic American dish of lox and bagels, of course, just pick up some bagels and pair them with your Boilie and smoked salmon.
Scrambling The Eggs
Of course, for many folk, brunch has to mean scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, and maybe a bottle of something that goes pop. But borrow another classic Jewish dish the next time you are scrambling, and make potato latkes, the great grated potato and onion cakes. They are simplicity itself. Just peel potatoes and an onion (say three potatoes to one medium onion) and grate them in a food processor, then pile the mixture into a tea towel and squeeze out any excess liquid.
Separate the strands, and season well, then form them into flattish patties about two to three inches in diameter and fry in sunflower oil or olive oil until they are crisp and golden. Perfect.