Brunch the Sunday Way: Over 70 delicious recipes from London's legendary Sunday Cafe PDF
Preview Brunch the Sunday Way: Over 70 delicious recipes from London's legendary Sunday Cafe
BRUNCH SUNDAY THE WAY Alan Turner + Terence Williamson Photography by Patricia Niven Contents Introduction Eggs the Sunday Way Toast the Sunday Way Waffles, Pancakes and Fritters Sunday Specialities Baking the Sunday Way Jams the Sunday Way Condiments the Sunday Way Drinks the Sunday Way Index Introduction Although Sunday originally opened as a restaurant focusing on dinner, brunch has always been at the heart of what we do and love. From the moment we opened our doors in July 2013, we have been fortunate enough to have a constant stream of brunch-loving customers, and this has only increased over time. We are both career chefs, and between us have a combined experience of over 40 years working in busy kitchens (with the grey hairs to prove it). We met in one of those kitchens, and after connecting over a love of food – and an itch to be our own bosses – we decided to open Sunday. It was a giant leap into the unknown, but one we have never regretted, and the warm reception we received from our wonderful neighbours in Islington played a huge part in that. Our ethos was – and remains – serving generous portions of good food, made with seasonal, locally sourced produce. We were part of the early wave of ‘proper’ brunch destinations in London, who took it seriously as a legitimate meal, as opposed to something that was an accidental overhang from breakfast. We observed that brunch was being done elsewhere, but not as well as we would like, so we made it part of our mission to change that. We always wanted Sunday to be the kind of establishment where we would want to take our own family and friends, and that remains our guiding principle. Looking back, ur first brunch service was the perfect example of how popular it would become: overwhelmed by demand we weren’t expecting, we found ourselves having to serve smaller and smaller portions in order to be able to continue serving customers to the end of the day. Both delighted and dismayed by how spectacularly we had underestimated the footfall of hungry brunchers, we ditched our plans to open for a dinner service that evening and decided to prep for the following day’s brunch service instead. We chuckle about it now, but it was an experience we haven’t repeated since. Opening day adventures aside, thankfully we were extremely well received by our local neighbourhood, and word soon spread to the wider public. It quickly became clear that brunch was the way forward; the demand for it was never-ending, and we could see how its place in food culture was changing at breakneck speed to become ‘the’ meal of the day. So we decided to stop serving dinner and switch to focusing solely on brunch. It was the right decision: we got our lives back (much to our relief) and could also dedicate our efforts to satisfying the crowd of brunch-lovers. At Sunday, we focus on doing the classics well, with a modern twist and a respect for seasonal produce. As an independent business, we are proud to support other local independents and source from them whenever we can. As a result, we have access to exceptional produce which makes great food. Our menu is constantly changing to reflect seasonal ingredients and whatever inspires us. The result is a range of creative, flavoursome, and varied dishes, incorporating international influences, and providing plenty of choice for sweet and savoury brunchers alike. This book is a collection of our favourite and best brunch dishes of all time. It is a reflection of our menu archives over the last six years and includes both Sunday classics, which always feature on our menu – such as our much-photographed pancakes and French toast – as well as some of our popular weekly specials. We have also shared our recipes for delicious sauces and jams, because it really does make a difference when you make these from scratch. Why write a book solely about brunch? Apart from the fact that it is – literally – our bread and butter, it also celebrates what is arguably the most joyous meal of the day. We felt brunch came out of nowhere, and as such has been able to make up its own rules; it can be enjoyed any time of day; it can be entirely sweet or savoury, or both in equal measure (a savoury dish followed by a half/full stack of pancakes is a popular choice at Sunday); it can be easy or complex; it can be a social ‘event’, bringing people together or a casual, laid-back affair. More than anything, to us brunch is fun, which is what good food should be. Our goal here is to encourage food lovers to create a brunch experience at home and prove that even the more complicated dishes are within reach. It has been incredible for us to adapt our dishes into something accessible and easy to make in your own kitchens, whilst faithfully replicating what we produce in the restaurant. As well as sharing recipes for getting the core brunch basics right (poached eggs, hollandaise, the simple yet awesome avocado on toast), we have included tips we use in the restaurant to make our – and your – lives easier. Often, elements of a dish can be prepared in advance, and we flag up where this can be done. These tips can make a big difference to the time and effort required when you want to sit down and eat quickly. In terms of ingredients, we would encourage you to explore what local produce your neighbourhood offers and buy the best that you can. The highest compliment would be to know that this book has become a solid guide for brunching outside the box; one that is well-used, engaged with, scribbled with notes, and encourages confidence to adapt the recipes
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