Ah Christmas Day breakfast. A meal that often comes second to the bigger, Christmas dinner. With all the pressure that comes from getting Christmas lunch right, we think that getting a great Christmas Day breakfast will set you up for the day.
Christmas Day breakfast is often the time before all the chaos starts. It’s the quiet moment with your family without any guests or visiting. While Christmas Day can involve a lot of snacking, what you eat for breakfast usually has to keep you going until the bigger meal later on.
Here are our favourite ways to start this special day and of course, each goes well with a bottle of sparkle to start the day.
Smoked Salmon and Eggs
Smoked salmon is a great centrepiece for any celebratory breakfast. Cold-smoked sashimi-grade salmon from London Smoke & Cure served on top of scrambled eggs. Add a slice of freshly toasted sourdough to see you through until lunch.
Fresh eggs make the best scramble to serve with salmon. Unless you’re lucky enough to own chickens (or have some kind neighbours who do) we recommend purchasing your eggs as close to Christmas Day as you can.
If you don’t fancy baking fresh bread first thing and your favourite bakery is closed, grab your loaf the day before ready for toasting in the morning.
Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict originates from New York and is traditionally served on a hot-buttered English muffin. When it comes to poaching eggs, the trick is having as fresh eggs as possible. Again, visit your local deli or farm shop as close to Christmas Day as you can.
Top with cured bacon and hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise sauce is simple to make with butter, fresh eggs, salt and a dash of cayenne pepper or some Pat & Pinky’s Hot Sauce from our Hamper You’ll Actually Use. Or simplify your morning with local shop bought sauce.
Pancakes
Pancakes are a decadent way to start the day but will keep you going until lunch. Pancakes satisfy both the sweet and savoury palettes in the house with a choice of toppings.
For the savoury fans, top with smoked salmon or bacon and a dash of creamy Labneh cheese. Sweet tooth’s will love fruit drizzled with Canadian maple syrup.
Freshly cooked pancakes are a great way to share breakfast on Christmas morning, especially if serving them family-style and letting everyone dig into their favourite toppings from the centre of the table.
Full English
We couldn’t talk about Christmas Day breakfast without mentioning a full English. A great way to set you up for the day, especially if you’ve enjoyed a few glasses the night before.
A traditional full English should have sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast. You can debate whether baked beans, black pudding or bubble and squeak truly belong on the plate.
Organic sausages will save you the food hangover you’ll often get in a the local greasy spoon. Fresh eggs to either fry, poach or scramble and plenty of butter on that fresh toast.
We like ours with a mug of Good and Proper Tea but you can substitute this with a strong coffee or because it’s Christmas, natural sparkling wine.
Chocolate
Of course, you can always crack open your selection boxes before anything else and have chocolate for Christmas Day breakfast. We can’t deny ever doing this although these days were more likely to sprinkle the chocolate on our Christmas Day breakfast pancakes.
Alternatively, dipping crusty bread into melted chocolate is a deluxe way to start the day and you can always call it continental.
Have a traditional Christmas Day breakfast?
Let us know if you have a different traditional Christmas Day breakfast and we’ll test it out for next year.
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