Post Holiday Brunch

How did things go yesterday?  

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, “Black Friday” as it is universally known; a day widely considered to be the kickoff to the holiday season.  From a culinary standpoint, the coming weeks represent a fleeting moment of transit between the dwindling autumnal harvest and the first dazzling moments of the vibrant citrus, juicy pears and robust greens that populate the winter months.  

I’ve always taken issue with the rigidity of this season’s celebrations—the schedule we seem to adhere to blindly, the vacuum of new traditions that fall outside Thanksgiving and holiday dinners.  This is a time when homes (and restaurants, incidentally) are filled to the hilt and throbbing with activity, when old friends are meeting and sharing tales, wounds and triumphs of the year past—is a single meal really enough?  In the name of progress, I suggest introducing the Post-Holiday Brunch—a meal designed to bring friends and family to table for a final hurrah and celebrate the dynamic colors and flavors of the season before planes are boarded, cars gassed up and farewells are warmly rendered.

My book, BRUNCH: 100 Recipes from Five Points Restaurant (Universe, September 2005) has 100 options for the enterprising home cook.  But for the perfect post-holiday affair, my recommendation is a simple yet lively menu that can be prepared and left alone, giving you ample time to spend with guests.  

The following dishes work with some of the season’s most familiar flavors—like cranberry, pumpkin seed and citrus—and a palate of deep reds, potent greens and golden browns to evoke the warm and festive atmosphere that is so fondly associated with the holidays.

Baked Eggs with Spinach & Goat Cheese
The success of this dish is in its range of exceptional, even decadent ingredients.  It is simple to prepare, has a pleasing texture owing to the shirred eggs and is visually engaging enough to stand as the hub of your  post-holiday brunch.

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 bunches spinach washed and stemmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus additional butter for the baking
   dish
8 sliced brioche, ½ inch thick
12 Large eggs
½ cup crème fraiche
1 cup grated parmesan
10 oz. Fresh goat cheese
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, cook till golden brown. Add spinach, reduce heat to medium. Add salt & pepper & cook for 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to bowl. Lightly butter the brioche bread on both sides. Lay brioche on sheet pan and toast on both sides. Lightly butter 4-6 small baking dishes. Arrange toast on bottom of baking dishes. Layer with spinach than make into a nest. Crack 2 eggs into each nest. Drizzle with crème fraiche, than place crumbled goat cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan. Cook until egg whites are firm about 10-12 minutes.

Cabbage & Apple Salad
With a brilliant scale of colors and a veritable cornucopia of seasonal produce, this salad will be the visual focal point of the meal.

½ head shaved small red cabbage
½ head shaved small white cabbage
4 Macoun, winesap or mutsu apples
¾ of a cup toasted pumpkin seed
1 cup hydrated cranberries
Seeds from one large pomegranate
2 cups moscato vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Cream Biscuit
These basic biscuits are a comforting and nostalgic addition to the brunch table.  

Makes 10-12

1 stick butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
11/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons melted butter

Finely chop the cold butter and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425. Combine all dry ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer. Stir for 30 seconds. Add frozen butter and stir until butter is incorporated into the dry ingredients. Add cream and mix.

Knead dough on lightly floured counter for a few seconds to bring it together. Roll it out to ¾ inch thick. Cut out biscuits with round pastry cutter. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes.

Sliced Persimmon with lime wedges
Look for the Japanese Hachiya variety—the thick, sweet jelly of the fruit and vital orange hue finds its foil in the sharp and refreshing tang of fresh lime wedges.  

Meyer Lemon & Hendricks Gin Cocktail
Choosing a signature cocktail for your meal is a memorable touch.  This recipe uses Meyer lemons to lend the seasonal drink a pure and refreshing flavor.

Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1 teaspoon Castor Sugar
1 sprig of fresh thyme

Muddle the above ingredients, Add 1/2 oz. gin & splash of seltzer

Join me at Holiday Food Classics to share favorite recipes and seasonal traditions! Brunch: 100 Recipies from Five Points Restaurant can be purchased online from Amazon.com