Big night?
If last night's party was a fun one, you'll probably be feeling a little 'delicate' today. The cure for a hangover is food - but not just any food. Carbs and grease are good - you need something to soak up the excess alcohol. Stay away from orange juice (so no screwdrivers today), grapefruit juice and anything else that's very acidic (other than coffee), because acid will make your queasy stomach feel even worse. If you like a 'hair of the dog' cure, serve these dishes with Bloody Marys and plenty of black coffee.
New Year's Day savoury bread pudding (pictured)
This recipe is just a guideline; it can be adapted to whatever you have in the fridge. If you still have lots of leftovers from your Christmas feast, chop up the ingredients and use them in this casserole. You can add things such as roasted potatoes, certain types of leftover vegetables (although I'd skip the Brussels sprouts and cabbage) and roast turkey or ham. If you omit the bacon, increase the amount of butter (or add some olive oil) - this dish, and your weary body, need plenty of fat.
250 grams sliced bacon
2-3 large cooked sausages, such as merguez
4 shallots or half an onion, diced
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
30 grams unsalted butter
180 grams thickly sliced bread, cut into large cubes
75 grams petits pois or sliced green beans
8 large eggs
250ml cream
200ml milk
150 grams grated cheese (such as gruyere, Swiss or cheddar), divided
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little ground nutmeg
Cut the bacon into 5mm pieces and put them into a large, deep oven-proof dish. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp. Slice the sausages into 1cm pieces, add them to the dish and cook until lightly browned. Remove and discard the stem and core from the peppers then cut them into 1.5cm cubes. Add the pepper and the shallot or onion to the pan and cook until softened. Add the butter to the pan and when it melts, add the bread. Stir well so the bread soaks up much of the fat in the pan, then mix in the petits pois (or green beans) and half the cheese. Whisk the eggs with the cream, milk, salt, pepper and a little nutmeg, then pour this over the ingredients. Press down on the bread so it gets evenly saturated and leave for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top then bake for about 45 minutes, or until set but still moist at the centre. Leave for about 15 minutes before serving.
Huevos rancheros
In this version of huevos rancheros, the eggs are poached in a pan of simmering salsa, then spooned over warm corn tortillas and served with refried beans and cheese. All of these ingredients will help counter the effects of too much alcohol.
For the salsa:
30ml cooking oil
1 medium-sized onion (preferably a white onion), chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 red bird's eye chillies (or more to taste)
2 cans (about 500 grams each) chopped Italian tomatoes
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the refried beans:
60 grams lard or rendered chicken fat or rendered duck fat (or use 60ml olive oil)
1 can (about 300 grams) black beans or pinto beans
For serving:
6-8 large eggs
6-8 corn tortillas
About 100 grams Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 ripe avocado (optional)
Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion and cook until soft. Add the cumin seeds, garlic and chillies and cook for a few minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and season to taste with salt. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Melt the fat (or heat the olive oil) in a skillet. Drain the beans, rinse them thoroughly with water then drain again and add them to the skillet. Heat the beans, stirring often, then mash them roughly with a potato masher. Stir in enough hot water so the beans are spreadable but not runny. Season with salt and pepper.
Carefully crack the eggs into the pan of simmering salsa (if the pan isn't large enough, cook the eggs in batches). Spoon some of the salsa over the eggs and cook them so the whites are just set and the yolks are still soft.
Heat the tortillas over the open flame of a gas burner, turning them over and cooking until they're lightly charred in spots but still soft. Place them on plates. Spread a spoonful of the black beans over each tortilla then top with an egg and some of the salsa. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with black pepper. If using the avocado, halve it and remove the pit. Carefully cut the avocado in slices while it's still in the shell then use a large metal spoon to scoop the slices onto a plate. Put a few slices of avocado over each portion of the huevos rancheros then serve.
Styling Nellie Ming Lee
