Favorite breakfasts of the innkeepers - recipes

Sunset, April, 1986

Favorite breakfasts of the innkeepers

Innkeepers have innumerable good breakfast ideas; here are six favorites (see page 116 for more). Two are perfect for the family; the others will serve a crowd.

Flavored butters add a nice finish to French toast. Eggs baked in scallop shells adapt to almost any size group; the lemony granola muffins can go with them.

For a brunch buffet, try the chili relleno casserole; it comes out of its baking dish in neat pieces. The sausage-and-apple pie has an impressive puff pastry top; make the dish ahead, then bake it when guests arrive. Serve the creamy potato kugelis with eggs and sausage; it feeds a dozen.

Gramma's Brandied French Toast

6 large eggs

1/4 cup whipping cream Maple syrup

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons brandy (or more orange juice)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 to 8 slices (3/4 in. thick) sourdough French bread (a coarse-textured loaf works best)

Melted butter or margarine

Orange, maple, or almond butter (recipes follow)

Powdered sugar

In a 9- by 13-inch pan, beat together eggs, cream, 2 tablespoons syrup, orange juice, brandy, cinnamon, and nutmeg; turn bread in egg mixture to coat. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Heat an electric griddle to 375|, or a 12-to 14-inch frying pan over medium-high heat; brush with melted butter. Cook as many slices as will fit on griddle or in pan at one time, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Offer hot with flavored butter, powdered sugar, and syrup to add to individual servings. Serves 2 or 4.--Robert Williams, Gramma's, Berkeley.

Orange butter. Beat together until creamy 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine (at room temperature) with 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel and 2 tablespoons orange-flavor liqueur or orange juice.

Maple butter. Follow directions for orange butter, preceding, except omit orange peel and orange-flavor liqueur; add 2 tablespoons maple syrup.

Almond butter. Follow directions for orange butter, preceding, except omit orange peel and orange-flavor liqueur; add 2 tablespoons almond-flavor liqueur or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

Country Sausage Pie

2 pounds mild ltalian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium-size russet potatoes (1 lb. total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon anise seed

1 teaspoon dry rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/3 cups regular-strength beef broth

3 medium-size Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 cup apple juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 sheet (about 8 oz.) frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg, beaten

Remove and discard sausage casings. Crumble meat into a 12- to 14-inch frying pan; stir over medium heat until browned. With a slotted spoon, set sausage aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat. Stir in onion, potatoes, raisins, anise, sage, and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat until onion is limp. Add 1 cup broth, apples, and juice; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender to bite, 10 to 15 minutes.

In a bowl, mix cornstarch with remaining broth; add to pan and stir over high heat until sauce boils. Stir in sausage. Pour into a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Let cool to room temperature. If made ahead, cover and chill as long as overnight.

On a floured board, roll puff pastry about 2 inches longer and wider than top of dish. Brush egg on outside of dish along top. Fit the pastry over filling and press it against egg on dish; trim and discard excess pastry.

Set dish on a 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Brush pastry with beaten egg. Bake in a 375| oven until filling is hot and crust is well browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Cut through crust with spoon to serve. Serves 8.--Molly Long, The Gosby House Inn, Pacific Grove, Calif.

Baked Eggs Gruyere in Shells

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips

3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded gruyere or Swiss cheese

4 large eggs

4 teaspoons whipping cream

Salt and pepper

In a 6- to 8-inch frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels.

Brush 4 scallop shells or 6- to 8-ounce ramekins generously with some of the bacon fat. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheese over the bottom of each shell, then sprinkle on equal portions of bacon. Break 1 egg into each shell. Pour 1 teaspoon cream over each egg. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and equal portions of the remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350| oven until set to your liking, 12 to 14 minutes for soft yolks (eggs continue to cook slightly after coming out of oven). Makes 4 servings.-- Marjorie Bettenhausen, The Seal Beach Inn and Gardens, Seal Beach, Calif.

Kugelis (Creamy Hash Browns)

1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup half-and-half (light cream)

4 large russet potatoes (2 1/2 lb. total)

1 large onion, minced

About 1 teaspoon salt

Pepper

In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring until crisp. With a slotted spoon, lift bacon onto paper towels. Save fat.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sour cream, and half-and-half until blended. Peel potatoes and coarsely shred to make about 5 1/2 cups. Stir potatoes, bacon, onion, and salt to taste into egg mixture. Brush bottom and sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with some of the bacon fat. Pour potato mixture into pan; spread to cover bottom in an even layer. Sprinkle lightly with pepper.