Power Brunch

For gridiron parties, these hearty dishes just can’t be beat

BY ROBIN BARR SUSSMAN

It's the weekend. No alarm clocks set. No meetings planned. Just a leisurely afternoon with friends, cheering on your favorite NFL or college teams. But after sleeping in, you're gonna need some substantial warrior fare to fuel your pigskin marathon. Enter brunch, that convenient respite that combines breakfast and lunch so creatively that anything goes. Score big with your fellow football fanatics by serving robust dishes like flavorful bacon-paved breakfast pizza, soulful Low Country shrimp and grits, or wickedly boozy French toast a la Bourbon Street. You've got everything you need here for a successful pregame show - including cooking tips from club chefs. Now, let's get ready for some football.

BREAKFAST PIZZA
Executive chef John Macdonald of Woodside Plantation Country Club in Aiken, S.C., shares his breakfast pizza inspired by the Italian frittata, a brunch standby. This mouthwatering recipe, crowned with sunny-side-up eggs, rises to the occasion even when you get up on the wrong side of the bed.

1/4 cup cornmeal
1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
8 strips cooked thickly sliced pepper bacon, chopped
1/2 pound cooked smoked sausage or spicy Italian sausage, crumbled fresh ground black pepper
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
6 large eggs

Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle a pizza pan or baking sheet with cornmeal. Stretch the pizza dough to fit your pan and pinch the edges. Alternately, roll dough out with a rolling pin on a floured surface into a 12- to 14-inch circle. For a crispier crust, prebake the dough for 4 minutes before topping it. Cool slightly.

Sprinkle crust evenly with cheeses, bacon, sausage, pepper, scallions, onions, parsley, and basil. Gently crack whole eggs over the top of the pizza, keeping yolks intact for sunny-side-up eggs. Space eggs evenly apart. Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating the pan after 5 minutes for even cooking.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Slice as desired and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Chef's tip: "Use a pizza stone to bake crispier pizza and a peel spatula to transfer the pie from the oven to the serving platter."

LOW COUNTRY SHRIMP AND GRITS
Here's the lowdown on a fresh shrimp brunch favorite from executive chef Mark Lietzke of Country Club of Hilton Head on Hilton Head Island, S.C.: He dials up the flavor of his Southern grits with cheddar cheese and Tabasco.

1-1/2 pounds medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 pound smoked sausage, diced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
Cheddar Grits (recipe follows)

In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Set aside.

In a heavy stock pan, heat oil on medium high. Add the sausage and brown. Add the garlic and onions, and cook until translucent, sauteing about 5 minutes. Add the seasoned shrimp and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepper flakes, and parsley. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer on low for 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Top grits with shrimp and sausage gravy mixture and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

CHEDDAR GRITS
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon Tabasco
1 cup yellow stone-ground grits
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Place milk, salt, pepper, butter, and Tabasco in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits, stirring until all the liquid is absorbed. Decrease heat to low and cook covered about 15-20 minutes. While cooking, remove lid and whisk mixture about every 5 minutes to prevent sticking. When finished cooking, turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.

Chef's tip: "For a spicier bite, use andouille sausage instead of plain smoked sausage."

BOURBON FRENCH TOAST
Attention, bourbon lovers! Executive chef Doug George of the Downtown Club at Houston Center in Houston punches up his eye-opening treat with bourbon, bourbon butter, and bourbon syrup. Add slices of hot crispy bacon and it's brunch nirvana.

1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup half-and-half
6 eggs, beaten
12 slices French bread, thickly sliced
1/2 tablespoon butter
blackberries
Applewood smoked bacon, cooked
Bourbon Butter (recipe follows)
Bourbon Syrup (recipe follows)

In a deep bowl, whisk together the bourbon, half-and-half, and eggs. Soak bread in mixture for 1 minute or less. Melt butter on a flattop or large nonstick griddle on medium-high heat. Add bread slices and cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.

Garnish with whole blackberries and a side of thick peppered bacon. Serve with Bourbon Butter and Bourbon Syrup.

Yield: 6 servings

BOURBON BUTTER
1 pound butter, softened
1/4 cup bourbon
Place butter in a small mixer with paddle. Add the bourbon and mix until smooth.

BOURBON SYRUP
2 cups maple syrup
1/4 cup bourbon
In a small pan, bring syrup to a boil. Add the bourbon, stir, and turn off heat. Serve warm.

Chef's tip: "For even more depth of flavor, add fresh grated nutmeg or Tahitian vanilla to the egg mixture before soaking the bread."

SMOKED SALMON WITH POTATO PANCAKES
Executive chef Dino Cruz of Canterwood Golf & Country Club in Gig Harbor, Wash., makes these irresistible smoked-salmon-capped potato pancakes for brunch. Packed with bacon, caramelized onions, and creamy potatoes, this is no lightweight. "Creamy Yukon potato, onion, and bacon cakes make an amazing backdrop for smoked salmon," Chef Dino says.

12 ounces Alderwood smoked bacon
1 cup yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white flour
1-1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chives, minced
6 lemon twists

In a large pan, cook bacon according to package directions. Remove and drain bacon, then dice. In the same pan with bacon drippings, saute the onions on medium-low until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine flour, bacon, onions, potatoes, sour cream, egg, salt, and pepper.

In a large heavy nonstick pan or on a griddle top, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add potato cake batter by the 1/4 cup, flatten slightly, and cook for 5-7 minutes per side until there is a deep-brown crust. Drain cakes on a paper towel.

To serve, top each potato cake with sliced salmon, chives, and a lemon twist.

Yield: 6 servings

Chef's tip: "Use wild Pacific Northwest salmon because farm-raised contains dye. Look for wild Alaskan King, Coho, or Copper River salmon."

MACHACA CON HUEVOS
Executive chef David Boswell of Granite Bay Golf Club near Sacramento, Calif., serves this tender chili-kicked, Mexican-style shredded beef with eggs and cool fixings. Muchachos and muchachas will lap up this fiesta on a plate. "Meaty machaca is so versatile. Eat it straight or carb-up by wrapping it in a tortilla," Chef David says.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
salt and pepper
1 white onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup poblano chilies, charred and diced
2 quarts beef stock or water
1-1/2 cups tomato puree
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped; plus additional for garnish
1 serrano chili, diced
12 eggs, poached or scrambled
12 tortillas
shredded cheese
sour cream
guacamole

Heat oil in a large pot. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then brown well on all sides. Add onions, peppers, and poblano chilies. Sweat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add stock or water, tomato puree, cilantro, and serrano chili. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, covered, for two hours or until tender.