May is the month of Mother’s Day, wedding showers and graduations—a lovely month of festive occasions. We have created a versatile menu for a fun spring brunch that will work well for any of these seasonal celebrations. This is a particularly good menu for entertaining, because much of the work can be done in advance, and none of the recipes is particularly labor-intensive. The dishes have a good balance of sweet and savory, and they are filling without being too heavy for a warm May morning. Enjoy!
THE MENU
Recipes by Tracey Koch
• Tequila Sunrise with Homemade Grenadine
• Baked Eggs in Avocado Halves over Spring Greens with Bacon Shallot Vinaigrette
• Orange-scented Palmiers
• Fresh Berries with Vanilla Bean and Honey Crème Fraiche
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Tequila Sunrise with Homemade Grenadine
A Tequila Sunrise is a fun cocktail to serve any time of day. Not only is it delicious and refreshing, it also looks very pretty in the glass. The bright color of the fresh orange juice and the deep red of the grenadine really resemble a sunrise in a glass. We added a twist to this recipe by making homemade grenadine. It is not the icky, sweet red syrup you see behind the liquor counter but something delicious and gently sophisticated. Homemade grenadine starts with equal parts unsweetened pomegranate juice and sugar heated together. We like to add a little fresh orange peel to give it more depth. The color is a rich garnet or deep ruby, and the flavor is fruity and sweet—but not too sweet. Grenadine can be used in many other cocktails or drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
Servings: 1
6 ounces ice
4 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 ounce light tequila
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce homemade grenadine
1. Fill a cocktail shaker with the ice and pour in the orange juice, tequila and Cointreau.
2. Shake and strain into a tall cocktail glass.
3. Slowly pour the ounce of grenadine down the side of the glass and wait for it to settle to the bottom.
4. Garnish with a fresh slice of orange and serve.
For the grenadine:
2 cups pomegranate juice
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon fresh orange peel (make sure none of the white pith is on the peel)
1. In a sauce pot, combine the juice and sugar. Add the orange peel.
2. Heat over medium heat and stir just until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to steep for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Remove the orange peel and let the grenadine cool completely. Transfer to a bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate until you are ready to use. Grenadine will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Baked Eggs in Avocado Halves over Spring Greens with Bacon Shallot Vinaigrette
Baking an egg in half of an avocado is a fancy and visually appealing twist on a rather simple dish, making it perfect for a brunch menu. Depending on your taste and budget, you can go upscale and top the eggs with sautéed jumbo lump crabmeat, shrimp or crawfish. We pair it with a crisp bacon and shallot vinaigrette, and the combination gives a salty and tangy kick to the mild flavors of the eggs and avocados.
Servings: 6
For the eggs:
3 large avocados
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
6 medium eggs
2 bags mixed spring greens
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Slice the avocados in half and remove the pit. Use a spoon to scoop out a little more of the avocado to make sure the egg will fit inside and not spill out.
3. Place the avocado halves into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the 6 avocado halves, and then sprinkle them well with salt and pepper.
4. Carefully crack the eggs, one into each prepared avocado half.
5. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the tops of the eggs and sprinkle each with a bit more salt and pepper.
6. Place the eggs into the preheated oven and bake them for 12-15 minutes or until the whites have set and the yolks are still slightly runny.
7. While the eggs are baking, toss the spring greens with half the vinaigrette (recipe at right) and divide the salad among 6 dinner plates.
8. Once the eggs are set, remove them from the oven and place one avocado on each plate of the mixed greens. Top with crispy bacon bits and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve immediately.
For the vinaigrette:
8 slices of bacon
½ cup chopped shallots
¼ cup Champagne- or white-wine-vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1. Chop the bacon into bite-size pieces.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the bacon until crispy.
3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and drain it on a plate lined with paper towels.
4. Add the shallots to the pan and sauté in the leftover bacon fat for 2 minutes.
5. Add the Champagne vinegar and turn off the heat.
6. Whisk in the mustard and drizzle in the olive oil until everything is incorporated. Season with the salt and pepper and set aside.
7. Chop the bacon into bits to incorporate into the salad.
Orange-scented Palmiers
Palmiers, also called elephant ears, are a classic French pastry made from puff pastry dough and sugar that have been rolled together and baked to a light golden brown. They are a delicious complement to a cup of coffee or tea and add a lovely touch to any brunch menu. We added a bit of fresh orange zest along with the sugar to give this recipe an extra pop of flavor.
Servings: 12 pieces
1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Divide the sugar between 2 bowls. Add the pinch of salt to the first bowl of sugar.
3. On a clean work surface, evenly sprinkle the sugar and salt mixture to cover a 10×10-inch area.
4. Place the sheet of puff pastry dough over the sugar and salt mixture and gently press it down.
5. Add the orange zest to the other half of the sugar and mix until well combined.
6. Sprinkle the orange zest/sugar mixture over the top of the dough.
7. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough to measure a 12×12-inch square.
8. Starting at either end of the dough, fold 1/3 of each side over toward the middle. Continue folding both sides over again toward the middle until both sides meet. (There should be 3 folds on each side).
9. Carefully use a sharp knife to cut 12 slices. Place the slices onto the lined baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.
10. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the palmiers to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a rack and cool completely. Store the palmiers in an air-tight container. These may be made a day in advance.
Fresh Berries with Vanilla Bean and Honey Crème Fraiche
Crème Fraiche is a great thing to have on hand to top both sweet and savory dishes. We added a little honey and fresh vanilla bean to our version to give it just the right amount of sweetness and flavor.
Servings: 6
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
½ of a vanilla bean
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 pint blackberries
1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream and heavy cream together until smooth. Cover and set out on the counter at room temperature for 5 to 6 hours or overnight. Then, place the crème fraiche in the refrigerator to chill. This may be made a day in advance.
2. Split the vanilla bean with a sharp paring knife, scrape out the tiny black seeds and stir them into the chilled crème fraiche.
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3. Stir in the honey and vanilla extract and then place the crème fraiche back in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
4. Wash all the berries and pat them dry. Trim the tops off the strawberries and cut them in half.
5. Place all the berries in a serving bowl and serve with the vanilla bean and honey crème fraiche.