Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and sons and daughters across the land should by now be frantically looking for an appropriate way to mark the day, and remind their long-suffering mothers of the true extent of their appreciation. There are few better ways to do so than with the time-honoured tradition of breakfast in bed.
What should I be cooking?
The first question you might pose to yourself is an obvious one – what does your mum like to eat? And – perhaps more importantly – what does she not like to eat? If she absolutely detests fish, and you cook her kedgeree, then you’ll display your ignorance of her likes and dislikes – and that’s something you should ideally avoid.
Spread the risk
If in doubt, it’s best to spread the risk by constructing a breakfast comprising a wide range of different foodstuffs. That way, if there’s one small component she doesn’t quite like, she can always leave it to one side. This is especially so if you make things slightly posher than she’s used to – even if she doesn’t enjoy mushrooms, she might well enjoy sautéed oyster mushrooms with a dash of caper sauce.
Get the best ingredients
Cooking a great breakfast isn’t that difficult. But even the most competent chef will be unable to work without the proper ingredients. If you put mediocre ingredients into your breakfast, then it’s going to be mediocre. On the other hand, if you use great ingredients, you’ll likely end up with something great. Don’t pick up the rubbish cheap cuts of bacon you might find in the supermarket – they’ll shrink to bland morsels when you expose them to the slightest bit of heat. Instead, splash out on something upmarket.
Poach your eggs the right way
If you’re looking to push the boat out, then poached eggs are great. They combine the best attributes of fried and soft-boiled eggs. Though they might be slightly more difficult than the aforementioned two styles, the difference is minimal. You don’t need a special poacher or an elaborate ‘whirlpool’ technique to get great results!
For best results, use a shallow pan and a slotted spoon. Add a dash of salt and vinegar to the water; this will prevent the egg from spreading. But not too much, as you don’t want it to taste like fish and chips. Bring it to the boil, and then switch down to a low simmer before cracking your eggs in. Give it a couple of minutes, to allow the whites to turn white. You’ll want the yolks runny, so don’t leave it too long.
Asparagus
If you’re looking to inject a little bit of greenery onto your breakfast plate, then there are few better ways to do it than with a sprig or two of asparagus. Unfortunately, Mother’s day doesn’t quite coincide with the start of asparagus season in the UK (which runs from April until June) – but you still make great use of this flavoursome breakfast vegetable.
Cut off the fat ends – but don’t, for the love of all that is good, cut off the tips. The tips are where much of the flavour resides. Now, asparagus can be cooked in one of several ways. You can boil it, or you can steam it. This might be especially economical if you’re going to be boiling other things (like eggs) to go in your mother’s day breakfast.
For best results, you’ll want to chargrill them – so that they’re covered in blackened lines. Get yourself a griddle-pan – and leave it for a few minutes to heat up.
Little touches
Of course, this being an extra-special breakfast, you’ll want to give it a few touches. This is what will make the difference!
Warm your plates
If there’s one touch that will separate a good breakfast from a great one, it’s the temperature of the plate. We’ve all had meals where the last few remnants are stone cold, because the ceramic plate beneath is stone cold. Avoid this problem by simply warming your plates, either in the oven or the microwave.
Another advantage of a warm plate is that it’ll keep the meal warm if you should slightly mismanage the timings. This way, you’ll ensure that your mum’s meal arrives piping hot and stays that way until she’s done.
Pancakes
If you’re going to be making pancakes, and you’d like them to be a cut above the average, then you’ll want to learn to draw patterns. Squeezable bottles can be bought for next to nothing; find them in the baking section of your local supermarket. You can use them to draw everything from smiley faces to love hearts.
This requires a little bit of practice. You’ll need a mix that’s thick enough to form discernible lines. On the other hand, if your mixture is too thick, it’s won’t spread across the pan and fill in the cracks. If you’re feeling especially devoted to the cause, you might want to concoct two different mixtures – one for fine-detail work, and the other for the pancake itself. It’s worth devoting a little bit of time to getting your mixture and technique exactly right before the day itself arrives. You only get one chance for your work to be impressed on your grateful mother – so make sure that it’s as good as can be.
Toast
Similarly, it’s possible to come up with custom designs for your toast, too. You’ll need a method of insulating some parts of your toast while exposing others to the grill. We find that margarine works nicely, and provides a nice contrast. Make a stencil and get spreading. Alternatively, you might cut something like tin foil to size and use that as a stencil.
This might require a little bit of experimentation before you can get the look exactly right – try it with stale old bread to begin with, and break out the premium stuff for the day itself.
Tidy up after you’re done
Your mum might appreciate the gesture of breakfast in bed. But this appreciation will likely be somewhat blunted if she’s forced to tidy up half-a-dozen pans the next time she wants to use the kitchen. Avoid this problem by tidying up after you’re done.
