Brunch fare from chef David Robertson’s new cookbook
Credit to Author: Mary Beth Roberts| Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2019 14:08:47 +0000
As a busy chef, David Robertson was used to working late nights, early mornings, every weekend and most holidays. But now that his popular Dirty Apron cooking school has hit its groove, he has time to relax and spend time with his friends and family.
“I’m finally going to these barbecues and parties. And the word ‘gather’ came to mind. It can be anywhere in the world and we can gather around food,” he says. “Food is what unites us and brings us together.”
And so, as Robertson worked on the follow-up to 2014’s bestselling Dirty Apron Cookbook, it became inevitable that Gather would be its title.
“With this one, the name Gather, it’s not about gathering ingredients, it’s about gathering people,” he says.
The first cookbook, he says, was designed to introduce the school. “This one, we put a lot more thought into it. We did it with the mindset of where food is going in the next 10 years.”
Five years ago, food was all about the piece of animal protein on the plate. “Veg—there wasn’t a lot of thought put into it. Now people are taking a lot more care,” Robertson says. “And the other thing, especially in this city, is people are a lot more aware of where their food is coming from. It keeps people a lot more accountable.”
The new book offers great ideas for dinner parties and cocktail dos, weekend barbecues and the kinds of desserts that will make you a hit at your next potluck event. But some of the best recipes are for brunch, which is one of Robertson’s favourite meals, especially when he spends it with his wife Sara and daughters Jason and Dylan.
“I think brunch is that thing that allows us to sleep in late,” he says. “Saturday and Sunday mornings, that’s kind of our family time. It’s actually my favourite time of the week.”
Brunch, he points out, isn’t limited to eggs and bacon. “I think it’s whatever goes. If you want to put an egg on it, great. If you just want to have pasta, that’s great, too,” he says. In the book’s brunch section, he includes recipes for grilled octopus, Thai beef steak sandwich and togarashi-grilled tuna brioche. “With the porchetta, we just threw an egg on it—brunch.”
Brunch is, of course, a great way to entertain over the holidays and if you plan to have people over on, say, Boxing Day, Robertson has some tips. “Keep it simple. Stick with what you know,” he advises. “Know what’s in your fridge. And just get into the kitchen.”
Most of all, he emphasizes, remember that the point of spending time with friends is not about how much effort you put into the food. “All it needs to be is a good charcuterie platter and a glass of wine and you’re ready to roll.”
These light, flaky, beautifully buttery biscuits from Gather: A Dirty Apron Cookbook by David Robertson (Figure 1 Publishing) are perfect topped with salmon gravlax and an egg. Serves 8 to 10
Biscuits: In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In a food processor, pulse the flour mixture and butter in batches until the butter cubes are a quarter their original size.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
Pour in buttermilk and mix well, until dough looks shaggy and barely holds together. (Add more buttermilk if needed.) Do not knead the dough—the larger the butter pieces, the flakier the biscuits will be.
Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and pat it into a rectangular shape. Roll dough to a ½-inch thickness. Fold ends to the centre, then fold in half like a book. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Repeat procedure three times. (The pastry must rest to relax the gluten and prevent the dough from shrinking too much.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into a 6-x-18-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 3-inch squares, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
In a small bowl, combine egg yolks, a pinch of salt and 2 Tbsp water, then brush the biscuits with the egg wash. Place biscuits in oven, reduce heat to 375°F, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 195°F. Makes 1 dozen biscuits.
Lemon mascarpone: Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Makes 2 cups.
Assembly: Spread lemon mascarpone on the cut sides of each biscuit. Add a few slices of tomato and avocado to the bottom half of each biscuit. Layer three slices of gravlax and a (optional) sunny-side egg on top. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chives. Top with the other biscuit half.