Issues → March/April 2007 → Feature Stories →
A Brunch to Welcome Spring
Serve strata, challah, and salmon to start the day
by Annie B. Copps
Faith Middleton and Fern Berman know they're pushing the season, but after weeks of short days and shades of gray, they're ready for some color -- and a good reason to get together with friends. In the fishing towns along the Connecticut coast, spring arrives a few weeks earlier than in other parts of New England, so we thought we'd tag along to the celebration and pick up a few tips on entertaining.
For more than 25 years, Faith has been the host and executive producer of her own six-days-a-week radio interview program, The Faith Middleton Show, on Connecticut Public Radio -- including twice-weekly installments of "The Food Schmooze."
As for Fern, well, she just happens to be one of the most sought-after publicists in these parts, with a client list that has included New York's renowned Le Cirque 2000 restaurant, the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, master chocolatier Jacques Torres, and none other than Julia Child. She's also the cofounder of StarChefs.com, one of the very first food Web sites, launched in 1995. So these two know more than a little about food, cooking, and how to get a party going, big or small.
Fern and Faith love to entertain, and what's most striking about their cozy-yet-sophisticated home is its simplicity -- in both design and function. With pots and pans in every shape and size and a wide mahogany island smack in the center of activity, their kitchen irresistibly beckons everyone to just come in and hover. And while the bright assortment of plates, napery, and whimsical art clearly reflects Faith and Fern's enjoyment of life, their Viking range -- all 15,000 BTUs of it -- boldly states that they mean business.
"The author Brendan Gill famously wrote that 'the first rule of life is to have a good time,'" says Faith. "So we'll use any excuse to celebrate with friends and family."
"And nothing is more delicious than celebrating after a long winter," adds Fern. "We chose a spring brunch because so much of the food can be made ahead or bought and assembled, letting you enjoy your guests. And it's a little different from entertaining at night. This way, our guests tend to linger."
Super Strata
Eggs Recipes
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 10 hours
Yield: about 8 servings
This easy and delicious recipe is also flexible -- for best results, assemble it the night before your brunch and bake it in the morning. Try adding spinach or other cheeses (such as feta), substitute crumbled sausage for the bacon, or keep it vegetarian.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 4 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
- 10 1/4-inch slices hearty white bread, lightly toasted, cut in half (horizontally)
- 8 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 1 cup)
- 10 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and cook onion 3 to 4 minutes; be careful not to brown. Add scallions and cook until onion is translucent and scallions are bright green. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Coat the bottom of a 3-quart casserole or gratin dish with remaining butter. Line bottom of dish with 10 pieces of bread (it's OK if slices overlap). Sprinkle an even layer of bacon on top of the bread.
Add onion and scallion mixture and both cheeses. Arrange remaining bread slices in overlapping rows on top of the first layer.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over the bread layers. Gently push the bread into the egg mixture to absorb liquid. Cover with foil and refrigerate.
After 6 to 8 hours, remove strata from refrigerator and bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Heat oven to 350°. Leaving the foil cover on, bake strata 30 minutes.
Remove foil and continue cooking about 20 minutes longer or until strata is lightly puffed and golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
This recipe was submitted by one of our readers and has not been tested by our food editors. We are not responsible for errors in this recipe, but if you find one, please let us know in our feedback form.
Reviews by Readers
We loved it. I made a half recipe as there's just the two of us. Even the leftovers were yummy. – Anonymous Review
I rated this recipe before and had to again say it's marvelous. We love it more and more each time I make it. Thank you to the one who perfected and shared this recipe. – Anonymous Review
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Challah
Bread Recipes
Preparation Time: 60 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 4.5 hours
Yield: 2 loaves
You can certainly buy a loaf of this rich bread, but it's fun to make at home -- especially if you have a standing mixer. This recipe makes two loaves, and they freeze well.
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water (about 100°)
- 1/3 cup sugar, divided
- 1/4 ounce dry active yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Garnish: coarse salt, poppy seeds, and/or sesame seeds
Coat the inside of a large (8-quart or more) nonceramic mixing bowl with about three-quarters of the melted butter and set aside. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface near the bowl and coat one side with remaining melted butter.
In a small mixing bowl, combine water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup milk, remaining sugar, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, honey, and salt. Stir until butter has melted and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
Add yeast mixture to milk mixture and stir well to combine. Pour into the bowl of a standing mixer with a dough hook. Add eggs and mix on low speed. Add flour, about a cup at a time, stopping the mixer periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides. Mix about 3 minutes longer, or turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (You don't need extra flour if you're using the mixer.)
Place dough into the buttered bowl and stretch the plastic wrap taut across the top, buttered side down (to keep the dough from sticking when it rises). Put the bowl in a draft-free spot at room temperature until dough doubles in volume (2 to 2-1/2 hours). Punch dough down and knead it on a lightly floured surface for about a minute. Place dough back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise until it doubles (1-1/2 to 2 hours).
Arrange the racks in your oven to accommodate two loaves of bread. Heat oven to 375°. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and/or cornmeal. Divide dough in half; then divide each half into three equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll out three of the pieces into tapered strands, each 14 to 16 inches long (midsection about 2 inches thick, end pieces about 1 inch). Arrange the strands vertically, just a fraction of an inch apart (so that you don't stretch them too much as you braid). Starting in the middle, bring the right strand over the top of the center strand. Bring the left strand over the new center strand, and continue braiding. (Be gentle -- the braid doesn't have to be tight.) Pinch the ends together and tuck under for a smooth finish.
Repeat with the top halves of the bread strands. Place carefully on top of the sheet pan and set aside in a draft-free spot at room temperature for 20 minutes. Roll out the remaining three pieces of dough into strands and braid. In a small bowl, combine egg yolk and milk. Brush loaves generously with mixture. Sprinkle with salt and seeds, if you'd like, and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until loaves are deeply browned and feel light and hollow when the bottom is tapped.
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Smoked Salmon Platter
Choose your favorite salmon (from mild to smokier flavors) and pair it with any or all of the condiments listed here:
8 ounces sliced smoked salmon (or gravlax)
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (yolk and white together or separate)
2 tablespoons minced red onion (rinsed in cold water and dried thoroughly)
4 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
sliced lemons, chopped fresh dill, and/or pickled onions, to taste
Serve on bread (rye is an excellent match) or crisp crackers, or enjoy the fish all on its own.
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