Kick-start the day

This week, our chef considers the perennial question of what to eat the morning after the night before: recipes to help with hangovers

After a night on the town, something substantial with a bit of a kick is often required the following morning. If you know you're in for a big night and anticipate having a raging hangover, you could even go as far as knocking something up the day before. Eggs are always a good starting point and scrambled eggs with an added extra ingredient on toast will certainly settle the stomach.

Poached duck's egg with crushed potatoes, green onions and bacon

Serves 4

Mashed or crushed potatoes for breakfast soak up excess alcohol and this easy recipe will get you back on track.

500-600g large new potatoes, peeled and cooked
A couple of good knobs of butter
6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, cut into ½cm dice or 120g pancetta or bacon cubes
4 duck eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coarsely crush the potatoes with a fork or potato masher, mix in the onions and butter, season and keep hot. Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crisp. Poach the duck eggs, keeping them as soft as possible, then spoon the potato into the centre of warmed serving plates, place the eggs on top, break them with a spoon so the yolk runs into the potato and scatter the bacon over.

Oysters Mary

Serves 4-6

If you are an oyster fan you can make up this quantity of frozen bloody Mary granita in advance and just use it as and when you feel the need.

I would suggest using rock oysters for this recipe, as native oysters are best enjoyed unadulterated.

16-24 medium rock oysters, shucked
1 litre tomato juice
4tbsp Worcestershire sauce (more if you wish)
Tabasco to taste
4 shots of vodka (or more – it's entirely up to you)
Juice of 1 lemon
1tbsp freshly grated horseradish
4-6 good pinches of celery salt (preferably homemade)

Mix all of the ingredients together (except the horseradish) and pour the mixture into a shallow tray; place in the freezer. Stir every so often until the mixture has frozen to a grainy, slushy consistency.

Spoon a couple of teaspoons on to each oyster, sprinkle the horseradish on top and serve immediately.

Crab cakes with tomato salsa

Serves 4

These crab cakes are great for brunch and if you make them in advance they will keep very well in the freezer. Use the best white crabmeat possible and where possible save the shells for a stock.

450g freshly picked chunky white crabmeat
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
4tbsp mayonnaise
1 egg
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
A few drops of Tabasco
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Vegetable or corn oil for frying
Olive oil for frying
For the salsa
1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium red or green chilli, finely chopped
1tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1tbsp coriander, chopped
1-2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

First make the salsa: put the shallots and chilli in a small saucepan with the vinegar and heat gently until the vinegar has evaporated; then transfer to a bowl. Mix in the tomatoes, coriander and enough olive oil to bind; season to taste.

Spread the crab meat out on a flat tray and check for any bits of shell, then scatter over the breadcrumbs. Mix the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco together, season, then very carefully mix with the crab, taking care not to break the pieces of crab down too much.

Leave the mix for 3-4 minutes, then carefully form into eight round cakes. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat about 2-3cm of vegetable oil and olive oil mixed in a deep-sided frying pan and carefully fry the cakes for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.

Serve with the tomato salsa on the plate or separate.

Websters' scrambled eggs

Serves 4

This was something I knocked up at Stephen and Assia Webster's house the morning after a party.

I scoured the fridge and hooked out some ingredients that looked like they needed a bit of love and attention. I served them as little breakfast canapés but you can make larger ones if you wish.

1 onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped
100g cooking chorizo, finely chopped
½tbsp olive oil
A good knob of butter
6 medium eggs, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp chopped parsley
4 slices of bread from a small bloomer or large baguette

Gently cook the onion and chorizo in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes without allowing it colour.

Remove from the pan and leave to cool. Toast the bread and keep warm.

Heat the butter in preferably a non-stick pan, season the eggs and pour into the pan and stir until they are almost cooked then stir in the onion and chorizo mixture and parsley.

Serve on the toast.