Breakfast in the sun
Another belated post, I’m afraid, but with the sun shining so brightly in London this morning I couldn’t resist writing about a bit of alfresco dining. One week ago today, just before we flew out to San Sebastian, Ollie and I went to the registry office in Peckham to register our intent to marry. It was a pretty painless process really, but we still felt that anything that required us getting up early on our day off and bringing along our passports deserved a big breakfast afterwards. Just across the street from the registry office is the excellent South London Gallery and it’s in-house cafe/restaurant, No. 67 – so named because of its location at 67 Peckham Road.
The good weather arrived in London a couple of weeks ago after months of torrential rain, and last Friday was the best day of all. The sun beamed down on an empty picnic table on the front terrace of the cafe, where we quickly established ourselves and started to look at the menu. At that moment, I received a text from my Dad to say that Southampton, a mere 75 miles away, had been enveloped in fog. If there was a moment to develop weather-smugness, that would have been it.
The breakfast menu at No.67 is similar to what you might find in other smart south-east London cafés: good coffee, juices, organic yoghurt and muesli and a range of scrambled egg dishes with ham, salmon or spinach. One anomaly, however, caught my eye – a baked egg, tomato and red pepper stew. There is something wholesome yet rather decadent about having a stew for breakfast and at the weekend, if I have time, I will often make a the classic Mexican egg dish Huevos Rancheros (literally: ranch eggs) or the middle-eastern equivalent, Shakshuka (David Lebovitz’s version with chunks of feta is my favourite). Both involve making a thick, spiced tomato sauce and cooking the eggs in it – either on the hob or in the oven – so that when served, the yolk spreads throughout the sauce. Can you think of anything better?
Baked egg, tomato and red pepper stew
The baked eggs, tomato and pepper stew at No. 67 arrives with two slices of lightly toasted sourdough drizzled with olive oil, which I set aside for mopping up the remnants of the sauce later. The egg, sat in the middle of the dish, is fresh and, although perhaps a touch overcooked for my liking, yields a little yolk into the sauce. The stew itself is rich and thick, made with what I suspect to be the best quality tinned tomatoes, rather than fresh, which for this time of year will give a more substantial flavour. A strong kick of black pepper and a smoky hint of paprika give it a deep flavour that works alongside the richness of the egg.
A very substantial and tasty breakfast. If you want something that sets itself apart from the usual Eggs Benedict / Florentine / Royale, this could be the spot for you.
The Boozy Rouge 