Fancy-but-easy champagne Christmas brunch platter
Ingredients for the soda bread
- Wholemeal flour – 170g
- Plain flour – 125g, plus extra for dusting
- Porridge oats – 50g, plus extra for garnish
- Flax seeds – 2 tbsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Bicarbonate of soda – 1 tsp
- Black treacle – 1 tbsp
- Honey or golden syrup – 1 tbsp
- Boiling water – 2 tbsp
- Plain kefir or buttermilk – 250ml
For the platter
- Quail’s eggs – 12
- OR Large hen’s eggs – 4
- Medium red onion – 1 finely chopped or thinly sliced
- Cocktail gherkins – 227g jar, drained
- Capers – 90g jar, drained
- Lemons – 2, cut into eighths
- Fresh dill – 2 x 20g
- Baby plum tomatoes – a handful, halved
- Marinated olives of your choice – 80g
- Sour cream – 150ml (season with a little salt and pepper)
- Salmon roe/ caviar – 50g jar
- MOWI smoked salmon
- Room temperature butter
For a cocktail to accompany
- Cassis or elderflower cordial
- Prosecco or champagne, chilled
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas and grease and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tray.
- In a small jug or cup, mix the treacle, honey or syrup with the boiling water and set aside. It can help to pop the mix in a microwave for a few seconds if the treacle is very hard to incorporate.
- Tip the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir in the oats and seeds.
- Pour the kefir into the treacle and mix well. Tip this treacle mix into the flour and using a bread knife or dough scraper pull together to make a shaggy, slightly sticky dough.
- Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so, just to bring it together. Shape into a round and lift on to the prepared baking tray. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross into the top of the loaf. Sprinkle the top with oats. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer to a baking tray to cool.
- Cook the quail’s eggs in boiling water for 2 minutes and 20 seconds, or the hen’s eggs for 7 minutes. Plunge the eggs into ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, peel and halve the eggs.
- To prepare your platter, slice the bread and place in a bread basket. Arrange the ingredients for the platter attractively and generously on a large decorative plate, board or tray. Give all of your guests a side plate, allowing them to choose what they like from the platter.
- For the accompanying cocktail, pour 2tsp of cassis or cordial into each glass. Top with prosecco/champagne and serve.
Ingredients for the soda bread
- Wholemeal flour – 170g
- Plain flour – 125g, plus extra for dusting
- Porridge oats – 50g, plus extra for garnish
- Flax seeds – 2 tbsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Bicarbonate of soda – 1 tsp
- Black treacle – 1 tbsp
- Honey or golden syrup – 1 tbsp
- Boiling water – 2 tbsp
- Plain kefir or buttermilk – 250ml
For the platter
- Quail’s eggs – 12
- OR Large hen’s eggs – 4
- Medium red onion – 1 finely chopped or thinly sliced
- Cocktail gherkins – 227g jar, drained
- Capers – 90g jar, drained
- Lemons – 2, cut into eighths
- Fresh dill – 2 x 20g
- Baby plum tomatoes – a handful, halved
- Marinated olives of your choice – 80g
- Sour cream – 150ml (season with a little salt and pepper)
- Salmon roe/ caviar – 50g jar
- MOWI smoked salmon
- Room temperature butter
For a cocktail to accompany
- Cassis or elderflower cordial
- Prosecco or champagne, chilled
