Geoff Maddern’s recipe for the perfect brekky stack

Geoff Maddern’s Brekky or Brunch Stack

My Brekky Stack has been inspired by years of dining out on those lazy weekend mornings.  What began back then as a trip out for a simple egg and bacon on toast with a flat white has evolved over the years into something completely different.  I salute the chefs out there bringing us our scrambled, poached, fried, baked or boiled eggs, served atop a broad range of toasted breads, embellished by myriad of accompaniments to suit the carnivores, herbivores and everyone in between.

This recipe is really quite simple.  It combines eggs, smallgoods, dairy, vegetable and fruit (tomato counts as a fruit!) into a delicious, Italian influenced meal – even if it is served on an English Muffin!  And you won’t need to smother it in salt – or even pepper for that matter – the salty and peppery properties of the ingredients take care of that.

What I love about this recipe is that the cooked tomato helps to keep the stack hot through to the final mouthful.  I love dining alfresco but there’s nothing that bugs me more than eggs that go cold in the outside air!

I like a sprinkle of smoked paprika as a final touch but, if you’re slightly more daring, try a little Buffalo Wing Dust for a little wow factor!

I reckon two stacks per person will see you right ‘till dinner time.  Handy hint – you can test the freshness of an egg by placing it in a deepish bowl of water.  If your egg sinks, it’s fresh – and remember to cook everything with the hood down!

 

Ingredients

• English Muffin
• Pancetta (Ask your delicatessen to slice as thick as a rasher of bacon)
• Ripe Tomato – Heirloom are great!
• Provolone Cheese (Sliced similarly to Pancetta)
• Rocket
• Fresh Eggs
• Paprika or Buffalo Wing Dust
• Pesto
• Cream Cheese
• Water

 

Method:        

Preparation (12 minutes)

Preheat your Frying Pan in the barbeque on medium high for 12 minutes (Don’t forget to detach the handle!)

Slice tomato into disks 1 cm thick

Rip Rocket into manageable lengths

Mix a tablespoon of Pesto with 50g Cream Cheese.  Use a drop or two of milk if required to produce a sauce the consistency of tomato sauce.

Cooking (7 – 9 minutes)

In the Frying Pan cook one side of Pancetta (90 seconds)

Turn Pancetta over.  Add tomato disk to the pan and cook (90 seconds)

Turn tomato disk – toast Muffin open halves on the grill (90 seconds)

Turn Muffin halves and top on with Pancetta, then add tomato to the stack.  Turn the barbeque down to medium low heat before topping the stack with Provolone

Crack eggs into Frying Pan – use greased egg rings if you like.  No need for oil, the fat from the Pancetta will do the job.  Pour a splash of Water into the pan and close the barbeque lid.  The steam will help cook the top of the eggs – Thanks for the tip Gordon Ramsay!  Cook to your liking – about 2 and a half minutes for gooey eggs!

Cover the Loaded Muffins with some rocket and then gently place an egg on the top of each.  Return the stacks to the Frying Pan ready to serve at the table.

Transfer stacks to plates and sprinkle with Paprika or Wing Dust and drizzle with Pesto Cream cheese sauce.

 

Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, your preferred fruit juice or perhaps a nice flute of your favourite bubbles – perhaps a Prosecco?.  Bon Appetit!