Tequila Sunrise Pancakes for Breakfast.

Emptying a house is not all doom and gloom… especially when it involves dealing with several bottles of spirits that have been maturing for a few years.  No point in letting these go to waste, or indeed pass them onto the children…  So I decided to apply my sense of adventure to the kitchen to invent or re-invent alcohol spiked foods,  and to improve on tried and tested recipes by adding booze.   It probably  would be more sensible to add the liquor to coffee or pour it over ice, but then as a single glass of wine sends me over the edge and into a wobble, I might never get to the bottom of them…  And I LOOOOOOVE cooking, so why leave all the fun to Jamie Oliver!!!

But what to do with a hardly touched bottle of Tequila???  It must have had a culinary purpose once, otherwise it would not have made its way into my cupboard.   And the only thing that springs to mind is Tequila Sunrise: a most seductive cocktail  stirring up fuzzy memories of a sultry summer’s night near the Mexican border in rather attractive company about a life time ago…  And as the images, although shrouded in a nebular mist, suggest a not entirely unpleasant experience, recreating it as a breakfast dish should certainly bring out the smiles.

So, here is my take on Tequila Sunrise for  breakfast: A deconstructed* Tequila Sunrise against a backdrop of pancakes: Tequila Sunrise Pancakes…   Definitely one to be included in the cookbooks of the brave at heart.   Although some of you may raise an eyebrow at having Tequila for breakfast, in my book SUNRISE is clearly connected with the sun coming up which traditionally happens in the morning, even in the land down under…

* If unfamiliar with the term ‘deconstructed’ you are clearly not watching enough of Master Chef and Bake Off…

Recipe and Ingredients:

• Pancakes : flour, sugar (optional), egg and milk. As I have not used a recipe for pancakes in years, nor ever bother to measure or weigh the ingredients – and made no exception on this occasion – it would be my advice to follow your instinct and make a batter that looks the right consistency.  Or if in doubt, consult a cookery book or the internet.
• Orange: Just add some grated rind of an orange to the batter, but not too much as the rest of the orange will grace your plate to add a little interest and décor.  It also counts towards the healthy part of your breakfast.
• Tequila: amount up to personal preference.  I needed about a quarter of a bottle, but this was mainly due to the impracticalities of trying to produce a flambéed variety.  Heating the alcohol, striking a match, pouring the flaming Tequila AND trying to take a reasonable snap of the action meant that many takes were required to obtain a presentable photograph as I did not have a little helper, as Jamie Oliver would.  Well, he probably would have a whole crew at his disposal to document the event.  Also,  accompanying  the pancakes with an unadulterated Tequila shot is optional, but will certainly add to the sunshine…

Word of warning: it is advisable to turn off the extractor fan when flambéing unless you intend to alter your hairstyle to the singed look… or set the house on fire…

Slightly fuzzy… not enough hands!!!

• Pomegranate: the grenadine that gives Tequila Sunrise its red layer is a concoction of sugar and pomegranate juice.  Having discovered the pleasures of pomegranate during my recent stay in India, I am a staunch convert and know it needs no sugar…. so liberally increase your intake of the pure version, adding to your Five A Day!
• Recipe: garnish the plate with slices of orange and pomegranate seeds, make pancakes, warm Tequila and set alight (read caution above and take care) , pour over pancakes and ENJOY!!!!   So simple, but really divine…  Will definitely feature again on the menu!

Remnants of a bottle of Bell’s Scotch Whisky were the next to be turned into breakfast fayre.  And as I ritually take liberties with English customs, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and home made jam are definitely a morning food in my house!  Using last season’s frozen strawberries, still lingering in my freezer, I made jam this week adding liberal portions of Whisky.  The internet was vague on whether the alcohol should be added at the beginning or after cooking, so I included both options to ensure we would be able to savour the full flavour and effect on our scones at the weekend.  And the raspberry liqueur still languishing in the cupboard is destined to increase the zing factor in my next batch of raspberry jam!

The pleasures of Tia Maria can also be experienced at breakfast time as leftovers of Nigella Lawson’s ‘Chocolate Espresso Cake with Caffe Latte’ laced with oodles of Tia Maria is recommended as the perfect morning pick-me-up combining chocolate and espresso coffee; the alcohol is just an added extra to make the start of the day even more appealing.

That just leaves me with a rather full bottle of Brandy to turn into a breakfast dish…  And a new take on French Toast strikes me as the obvious choice.  Dousing Eggy Bread in Maple Syrup sounds so yesterday!  ’ The more’s the pity’,  Canadians may think, but all good things come to an end eventually.   Although my version is still in its embryonic phase, it will centre around French Fine Cognac and apples and obviously some bread, egg and milk and a splash of brandy to replace the vanilla essence??? …  Watch this space….  You read it here first!!! ..

Maybe I have missed my calling and I should have become a chef…  ‘Breakfast Food and Alcohol: A Marriage Made in Heaven’ sounds like a good title for a cookery book…