Mother’s Day brunch: 6 easy recipes to make for mom

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Food is love, which is why we recommend cooking up something delicious for mom this Mother’s Day.

In order to celebrate mothers and maternal figures, we asked a few Vancouver chefs and restaurant teams to share their favourite brunch recipes to whip up on May 12. From crab cakes to the perfect cake, here’s what they came up with:

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Elio Volpe’s French Toast

Recipe by: Phil Scarfone, culinary director, Banda Volpi

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6 x 1.5-inch slices Japanese milk bread

12 oz (340 g) Royale (see recipe below)

12 tbsp (120 mL) seasonal preserves

6 scoops gelato, stracciatella preferred

16 leaves fresh mint

1 tbsp (15 mL) desired maple syrup

1 tbsp (15 mL) powdered sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest

Soak bread slices in Royale for about 15 minutes before cooking.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil or a generous knob of butter. Add 2 slices of the soaked bread and cook over medium heat until browned and caramelized. Flip carefully and add additional butter/oil, if necessary. Continue to flip and cook until the centre is cooked, usually about four flips.

Transfer a slice to each dish. Top with preserves followed by a generous scoop of gelato, an abundance of maple syrup, lots of fresh mint, and finish with powdered sugar and fresh lemon zest. Enjoy.

Royale   

1 7/8 cups (440 g) 36% whipping cream

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (140 g) whole milk

7 eggs

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (140 g) sugar, white

1/2 tsp (2 g) kosher salt

1 tsp (5 g) vanilla paste or vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a container and blend with the hand blender until evenly combined. Strain and store in the refrigerator.

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Serves 4.

Buttermilk fried chicken and waffles

Recipe by: Chef Daniel Kenney, Dahlia

Buttermilk fried chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups (500 mL) buttermilk

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper

1 tsp (5 mL) paprika

1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, mix together buttermilk, salt, black pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Add chicken breast to the bowl, making sure they’re completely coated in the buttermilk mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.

In a shallow dish, combine flour with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Remove chicken from the buttermilk marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Dredge each chicken breast in the seasoned flour mixture until fully coated.

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Carefully place the coated chicken breasts in the hot oil and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

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Waffles

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups (430 mL) milk

1/2 cup (125 mL) melted butter

Preheat your waffle iron. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs and stir in milk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Cook waffles according to your waffle iron’s instructions until golden and crisp. Keep cooked waffles warm in a low oven while you finish the remaining batter.

Citrus cream

1 cup (250 mL) heavy cream

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

2 tbsp (30 mL) powdered sugar

In a chilled mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Add lemon zest, orange zest and powdered sugar to the whipped cream. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

To serve

Maple syrup

Seasonal berries (such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)

Place a warm waffle on each serving plate, then top with a piece of fried chicken. Drizzle maple syrup over the chicken and waffle. Spoon a dollop of citrus cream over the chicken. Garnish with seasonal berries and serve hot.

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Serves 4. 

St. Honoré Cake

Recipe by: Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts

Choux paste 

1/2 cup (110 g) milk

1/2 cup (110 g) water

1/2 cup (97 g) butter

1 1/4 tsp (5 g) sugar

1 1/4 tsp (5 g) salt

1/2 cup (66 g) pastry flour

1/2 cup (66 g) all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

Bring milk, water, butter, sugar, salt to boil in a pot. Once boiling point has been reached, remove from heat and add sifted flour into the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon until it has become a dough.

Return to the stove and cook on medium heat to remove excess moisture. It will be ready when the bottom of the pot is dry when scrapped with a spatula (about 1 to 2 minutes). Stir with a wooden spoon until all steam has been exhausted from the dough.

Add eggs gradually and mix into homogenous paste. Pipe onto parchment paper 3-4 cm diameter rounds. Leave space in between for expansion. You may wet your finger tips and press down on the tips of the choux paste to form a consistent round shape.

Bake in a 360 F preheated oven for about 20-30 min, or until deep golden colour. Don’t open the oven during the first 12 minutes. When cool, fill round puffs with pastry cream.

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Pastry cream

1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar

5 tbsp (50 mL) corn starch

2 tsp (10 g) vanilla paste or vanilla extract

6 egg yolks

2 cups (500 mL) milk

1/4 cup (50 g) butter

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, vanilla paste and egg yolks. Bring milk to a boil and pour into egg mixture while whisking to avoid the eggs from cooking into lumps.

Pour mixture back into pot, cook on medium while stirring with a whisk, until it thickens and reaches a light boil or until the starchiness has been cooked off. Mix in butter, wrap tightly and cool in fridge.

Paté a Foncer

1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp (3 g) salt

2 tsp (12 g) sugar

1/2 cup (115 g) butter, softened

1 1/2 tbsp (25 g) water

1/2 egg yolk (10 g) egg yolk

Mix flour, salt, sugar and butter until it reaches a sandy and crumbly consistency. Add water and yolk. Knead lightly until a dough forms. Rest at least 3 hours in fridge.

Roll out to 0.3 to 0.5-cm thickness, rest 30 minutes in fridge. Trim to a round size of 15 cm diameter. Bake in preheated 360 C oven for 16-20 minutes or until a deep golden colour is reached.

Chantilly cream 

1 2/3 cup (400 g) cream

2/3 cup (80 g) icing sugar.

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2 tbsp (10 g) vanilla paste

Whisk together until medium peaks, or that it holds a shape when piped.

Caramel 

1/4 cup (60 mL) water

3/4 cup (180 g) sugar

1 tsp (3 g) salt 3g

2 tbsp (24 g) corn syrup

Put all ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and boil until it reaches a light golden colour.

Assembly

Soften pastry cream by mixing it with a wooden spoon. Make a hole in the bottom of the choux paste with a skewer, and fill the inside with pastry cream using a piping bag.

Dip the tops of the choux into the hot caramel (take care as it should be very hot), turn over and allow to set.

Place the choux onto the Pâte a Foncer along the outside edge to create a ring, using caramel or pastry cream as an adhesive if necessary. Fill the centre area of the St. Honoré with a layer of pastry cream measuring 1/2 cm.

Top off the pastry cream with Crème Chantilly, piped to your desired shape and finish.

Serves 4-6. 

Lobster sandwich

Recipe by: Chef Hung Nguyen, B House

1 brioche bun

1 1/2 g oz (45 g) cooked lobster meat – 45g

1/2 tsp (2.5 g) fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp (5 g) green onion, chopped

1 tbsp (15 g) cucumber, small-diced

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1/4 avocado, small-diced

1 tbsp (15 mL) mayonnaise

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup (125 g) baby arugula

Crispy yam (optional)

For crispy yam, peel and cut one yam into thin strips. Set deep fryer to 250 F. Fry yam strips until crispy. Transfer to paper towel-lined pan to drain the excess oil.

Toast brioche bun.

In mixing bowl, add lobster meat, chopped dill, chopped green onion, cucumber, avocado, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Add arugula, lobster mix and crispy yam (if using) to bottom bun.

Serves 1. 

Crab cakes

Recipe by: Executive Chef Tommy Shorthouse, Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market

1 lb (454 g) fresh Dungeness crab meat (picked and sorted)

3/4 cup (180 mL) Panko breadcrumbs

1 whole egg

1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise

1 1/2 tbsp (22.5 mL) parsley

1/2 tbsp (7.5 mL) chives

1/2 juiced and zested lemon (save other half for garnish)

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1 tsp (5 mL) pepper

1 tsp (5 mL) Old Bay

1 small shallot, minced

1/4 red pepper, minced

1/2 Serano pepper, minced

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix just until crab mixture has come together. Allow to sit in refrigerator for an hour. Form mixture into 3 oz (90 g) tightly formed cakes.

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Crab cakes can be baked or pan fried in a small amount of neutral oil on medium to high heat until golden brown. Flip crab cakes over and cook on other side for one minute, then remove from pan and serve right away.

The cakes can be eaten as is or with a preferred sauce(s) of choice. Enjoy.

Makes 7 cakes. 

Mamon (Filipino chiffon/sponge cake)

Recipe by: Goldilocks Bake Shop

½ cup (125 mL) salted butter (softened)

Egg yolk side

1/4 cup ( 60 mL) salted butter

1 cup (250 mL) cake flour, unsifted

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) baking powder

1/3 cup (80 mL) sugar

Egg yolks of 6 large eggs

1/4 cup (60 mL) water

Egg white side

Egg whites of 6 large eggs

1/4 tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar

1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar

Optional toppings

Unsalted butter, creamed

Cheddar cheese, grated

Sugar, as desired

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place 1/2 cup softened salted butter in a mixing bowl with paddle attachment. Set to medium speed and cream the butter for about 5 minutes until it turns light yellow.

Generously brush 14 mamon molders (or a muffin tin) with the creamed butter, making sure the ridges of each molder are fully coated to prevent the mamon from sticking to the molders.

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Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool. Combine the cake flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Sift three times then set aside.

Pour egg yolks, water and melted butter in a mixing bowl with paddle attachment. Mix at low speed for 1 minute to blend ingredients. With the mixer still running, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder and sugar) and continue mixing for 3 minutes until all ingredients are blended. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Set aside.

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in another mixing bowl with wire whip attachment. Beat under high speed until the egg whites double in volume. While maintaining high speed, gradually add 1/2 cup sugar in a steady stream. Continue beating until medium peaks are achieved in the process. Reset mixer to low speed and run for a few seconds to eliminate large air holes in the meringue.

Manually fold in the egg yolk side into the meringue through the cut-and-fold method. Folding-in should be done swiftly but gently to prevent the meringue from collapsing. Once batter is evenly mixed, divide the batter equally on the prepared mamon molders.

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Bake mamon in the centre of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Once baked, remove from the molders immediately and set on a wire rack to cool. Brush with butter then sprinkle top with grated cheese and sugar (optional).

Makes 14 individual-sized sponge cakes.

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