The easiest way to celebrate Easter is with a simple, yet elegant and delicious brunch. It can be easily prepared while the kids are doing an egg hunt and served with style as they all emerge, famished.
Eggs are a great choice – not only are they following the theme of Easter but they are inexpensive, nutritious, and can be prepared in a multitude of ways. Simple scrambled eggs are always a hit. To get them really soft and creamy, they need to be cooked super slow on the lowest heat. It takes some patience, but it really pays off and transports your palate straight to a French café eating oeufs brouillés. With a classic such as this, there are always great variations. Smoked salmon is a popular addition or some shaved truffle (truffle oil is an easier to come by alternative). Jamie Oliver has a delicious way of serving scrambled eggs, in a soft bun with spiced tomato chutney. Simply delicious.
Still keeping it simple – poached eggs are always popular. Ensure you swirl the water while popping the egg in so that the yolk stays together with the white and the egg forms a neat ball. Poached eggs on sourdough toast with mashed avocado is a well-loved favourite. Add slow-roasted tomato, hummus, fresh chili, and arugula for a more gourmet version.
For something more exotic, try Australian Chef Donna Hay’s Moroccan poached eggs, served on Turkish flatbread with garlicky yoghurt, spinach, and green olive tapenade.
An age-old classic that may bring back fond memories of childhood is a deviled egg. I prepared some for my family and my children just loved them. For those that are not familiar with this dish (also called a stuffed egg), the egg is hard-boiled, then cut in half. The yolk is carefully removed and then mixed with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and cayenne pepper. The mixture is then spooned or piped back into the egg white. The deviled egg can be traced back to ancient Rome where hard-boiled eggs were served with sauces as an appetizer. The stuffing of the eggs was first seen in Spain in the 13th century.
Frittata is another simple brunch classic. Many people think it is an Italian dish because of its name coming from the Italian word friggere meaning to fry, but this dish is not often seen on Italian menus. It is basically a crustless quiche. Any type of filling is put into a pan to which beaten egg is added. Once the underside of the egg has browned, the pan is put into the oven where the top part is browned. It is then turned out and served sliced. Asparagus, goat cheese, and herb are a favorite in my family. The famous Israeli chef, Yotam Ottolenghi, serves a zucchini and ciabatta frittata with Parmesan cheese that is simple to make and has wow factor.
If you are looking to outsource your brunch solution, don’t miss Mariposa Market in Orillia which has been going for 35 years, nestled happily in a 110-year-old building. They specialize in made-from-scratched pies, tarts, breads, muffins, and donuts. They have the longest donut menu I have ever seen of which the signature is the Maple Texas Donut. They also offer catering trays of anything you may need from breakfast trays; for example, bagel and cream cheese or breakfast pastries to appetizer trays if guests plan to stay a little longer.
Other great places in the area include:
Jack’s Pancake Factory in Barrie, which specializes in breakfast and brunch. You can have eggs done any way, as well as having a full Benedict selection. Naturally, as per their name, there are many types of pancakes of which the cinnamon apple strudel caught my eye.
The Breakfast House in Barrie can offer any type of egg, omelettes, hash, pancakes, or waffles among other things. TBH hash has smoked meat, onion, peppers, cheddar hollandaise, scrambled eggs, and fries. Decadence for sure.
If you love a great omelette, head to Orillia’s breakfast landmark since 1981, Hills Maple Leaf Restaurant. With all-day breakfast, you can build your own omelette for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Choose from your favourite ingredients, including bacon, ham, sausage, cheese, onions, tomatoes, green pepper, and mushrooms.
Whether you are cooking at home, ordering in, or going out for your Easter celebration, there are a lot of choices to make things festive and fun.
LOCAL LINKS
Mariposa
MarketMariposamarket.ca
Jack’s Pancake Factory
Jackspancakefactory.com
The Breakfast House
the-breakfast-house.com
Hills Maple Leaf Restaurant
Hillsmapleleafrestaurant.com
