Brunch on Saturday: Deeney's Haggis toasties and streaky bacon hash browns

The next installment of our Saturday brunch series recommends a cafe with a signature haggis toastie and streaky bacon hash browns to make at home

Tuesday 02 August 2016 12:48 BST
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Streaky bacon and hashbrowns
Streaky bacon and hashbrowns

Streaky Bacon with Creamed Corn on Hash browns

Serves 2

for the creamed corn

3 fresh cobs of corn
120 ml (4 fl oz) water
40 g (11/2 oz) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50 ml (2 fl oz) crème fraîche
1 teaspoon Tabasco (hot pepper sauce) (optional)

for the hash browns

1 large potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
8 cherry tomatoes on the vine
4 rashers (slices) smoked
streaky bacon

Hash browns are liked by everyone and are irresistible when made from scratch. Don’t go buying the frozen variety that look like miniature sponges. You can make the hash browns in advance, just put them in the frying pan to crisp them back up again.

Make the creamed corn by cutting the kernels from the core of the cob. Do this by peeling off and removing the husk and the silky threads that cover the corn, then stand the cob stalk-end down on a chopping board and carefully slice the kernels off from top to bottom using a sharp knife. Cut as close to the core as possible so that the kernels remain whole. Careful here of your fingers, as well as the mess. Some kernels take flight and decide to miss your chopping board, and end up somewhere you might find them a few days later! Once you have removed all the corn, put the kernels into a saucepan with the water, butter and sugar. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bring up to a gentle simmer on a medium heat, and cook for about 20–25 minutes until the corn is soft. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl or jug. Transfer half the cooked corn into another bowl, and tip the rest into a food processor and blend until smooth. If you want it to be super-smooth, pass it through a really fine sieve after blending. If you find it is a bit thick, you
can add a little of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen it. Stir the puréed corn into the rest of the corn, and add the crème fraîche and Tabasco (if using). Check the seasoning and keep warm.

Now for those hash browns. Peel and grate the potato into a bowl lined with a clean tea towel (kitchen towel). Perhaps choose a tea towel you don’t particularly like, so you don’t mind squeezing hard – it’s therapeutic! Gather the tea towel around the potato and twist the neck to form a tight package. Continue twisting the cloth and squishing the liquid out of the potato as much as you can. The more you squeeze, the better the hash brown.

In a heavy-bottomed frying pan or a skillet, melt the butter over a medium–high heat, then add a large spoonful of the potatoes. Depending on how big your pan is, use half the mixture for each hash brown and flatten each portion using the back of a spatula. Fry for three to four minutes until it looks crisp and golden, then flip over and fry for a further two to three minutes until you have a lovely golden– and fry for a brown hash.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Pop the tomatoes on a baking tray and roast in the oven for five minutes. Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crispy. Put the hash browns in the oven for a few minutes just to warm up. Serve up the hash browns, topped with the creamed corn, bacon and tomatoes. I’ve been known to sprinkle this with fresh chopped chilli and serve with a salsa made of chopped avocado, red onion and tomato on the side, but eat as it suits you.

Breakfast, Morning Noon and Night by Fern Green, (Hardie Grant, £18.99). Photography by Danielle Wood

Where to go out: Deeney's, London

Deeney's cafe opened at its first permenant spot in Leyton in October 2015 

The offspring of a mainstay at Broadway Market in Hackney, Deeney’s set up its permanent home on Leyton’s rapidly gentrifying High Road in October 2015.

While it serves your standard east London brunch fare of avocado on toast a million different ways, the real draw in this small Scottish café is the Macbeth – a hot haggis, cheddar, caramelised onion and rocket toasty (also available in a vegetarian version, Lady Macbeth). Others include the Hen Hoose, with smoked chicken, avocado, mango salsa and spinach, or the Hamish with ham, cheddar, spicy tomato and spinach.

There's also haggis balls with a whiskey aoili, or for more traditional types, homemade granola with fruit and sourdough toast with homely spreads. The coffee’s strong and there are a fine array of cakes too inside the 20-seat cafe.

The signature Macbeth haggis toastie 

Founded by Paddy and Carol in 2012, Carol grew up with Scottish cafe's ingrained in her and packed in her 9-5 to cook full time in her own cafe, following in her mother's footsteps.

Open 7.30am-5pm weekdays, 9am-5pm weekends.

Deeney's Cafe, 330 High Road Leyton, E10 5PW

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