Valentine’s breakfasts

Without the risk of diving head first into a pool of rose petals and stereotypes, we’re staying away from flowers, romantic getaways and boxes of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Instead, we look at one of the most underrated romantic gestures: breakfast.

There are few days in the year when one can indulge guilt-free. Your birthday, special occasions throughout the year and, dare I say, Christmas. But chalk Valentine’s Day down as one. It provides a welcome break from the intensive January (perhaps early February) detox and sets the tone for the most romantic day of the year. So, whatever notions your plus one may have of entering the house on Valentine’s morning with the odour of silage – remove it. Stay in bed, grab a book and make sure the breakfast you have represents the day that’s in it. Donal Skehan and Catherine Fulvio have provided Irish Country Living with just the recipes to make sure your breakfast is as luxurious as it is romantic.

Catherine Fulvio’s Chocolate French Toast

with Hazelnuts, Raspberries and Maple Syrup

Serves four

“It’s no secret that I am partial to a bit of chocolate, so it will come as no surprise to you that for Valentine’s day I love a little indulgence. Given that this year Valentine’s Day is falling on a Sunday, I am going all out with chocolate for breakfast – we all need a little treat from time to time. I suggest quality cocoa powder for best results. There is only a hint of chocolate in this one and the raspberries balance out the sweetness well. Or at least that’s my theory! You can slice brioche buns lengthways or even use slices of barmbrack for a delicious French toast.”

Catherine is owner of the award-winning Ballyknocken House & Cookery School in Co Wicklow. Visit www.ballyknocken.ie. This recipe is extracted from The Weekend Chef by Catherine Fulvio, published by Gill & Macmillan. Recipe photo by Joanne Murphy.

Recipe

3 eggs, beaten

100ml milk

3 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved

3 tbsp icing sugar, sieved, plus extra for dusting

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Sunflower oil

4 slices brioche, each slice cut in half

100g raspberries, washed

3 tbsp hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Maple syrup, to serve

1 Whisk together the eggs, milk, cocoa powder, icing sugar and cinnamon in a large, shallow bowl.

2 Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Using a fork, dip both sides of the bread into the chocolate egg batter and place into the frying pan. Cook until lightly golden on both sides. Transfer to a serving plate and dust with the icing sugar. Sprinkle over some raspberries and hazelnuts and drizzle over the maple syrup. Serve immediately.

Gluten-free Pancakes with

Blueberry, Banana and Honey

Serves two

“I’ve been making variations of these pancakes for years and the basic batter can be adapted with the addition of all sorts of ingredients, such as nuts, seeds, chocolate and berries. Store-bought oat flour can also be used here but I normally blitz up oats in a food processor until they are a fine consistency.”

This recipe is extracted from Fresh by Donal Skehan. Published by Hodder & Stoughton and available to buy now for approximately €20.

120g oat flour (oats blitzed in food processor)

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

1 tbsp chia seeds, flax seeds or ground

Pumpkin seeds

Pinch of fine sea salt

100ml milk

2 large free-range eggs, separated

150g blueberries

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 large ripe banana, peeled and sliced

Honey, coconut yoghurt and bee pollen, to serve

1 Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix to combine and then make a well in the centre. Pour the milk in a jug and add the egg yolks. Whisk lightly to combine. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until blended.

2 In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Fold gently into the batter until combined. Add a handful of the blueberries to the batter, if you want, and fold in.

3 To cook the pancakes, melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a small ladleful of the mixture to the hot pan. Cook for about two to three minutes on each side, or until the pancakes are golden brown. Serve the pancakes on warm plates with banana slices, blueberries, a drizzle of honey, yoghurt and bee pollen.