Delicious beginnings (+recipes)

Festive brunch. Photo / Babiche Martens

Start your festive day with an easy but impressive brunch.

There's a wonderful sense of anticipation at this time of the year. Though we all have "a thousand and one things to do", there's also the knowledge that soon we'll be rewarded with some long-awaited rest and relaxation. There's also the joy of planning Christmas Day - who will be coming, what we will eat and drink. After all, sharing food is a wonderful way of showing you the people in your life you care.

One of my favourite ways to entertain on Christmas Day is with brunch. Many families have to divide their time between a few destinations - especially when grandchildren are involved. These are more simple ideas to be enjoyed mid-morning; the sort of food that can be offered to guests who may feel the need for something lighter and a little less traditional before heading off to a family dinner.

French toast or pain perdu is fairly standard but when you use brioche instead of French bread it becomes lighter, richer and far more heavenly. I have used a cutter to produce a more elegantly sized portion suited to the occasion instead of the more typical doorstop you will find on many cafes' brunch menus. Topped with a little mascarpone, then a drizzle of colourful pomegranate seeds in a light syrup, it makes for a festive course.

A second option is to gently scramble eggs with fresh herbs then serve with delicate slices of smoked salmon layered between green banana grated and fried until crispy. The green banana, or plantain, is high in starch so grates easily and holds together without the need for eggs or flour to bind and it provides a good textural balance between the creamy eggs and salmon.

I have included oysters because ... why not? It's Christmas and the perfect day to be decadent. Finely dice a little free range bacon and fry until crispy then sprinkle over the oysters with diced avocado. Top with a sprinkle of freshly snipped chives and then add a splash of divine champagne vinegar - delicious indeed and what a wonderful way to kick-start the festivities.

Chef's tip

Look out for pomegranate seeds sold in 150g containers at supermarkets. Very easy to use instead of having to pick the seeds out of the whole fruit, but you forfeit the lovely juice. Ideal for this recipe though or when you want to scatter the seeds on a salad.