Brunch the Sunday Way: Over 70 delicious recipes from London's legendary Sunday Cafe

266 Pages·2020·20.248 MB·English

by  Alan Turner, Terence Williamson

BRUNCH
SUNDAY
THE WAY
Alan Turner + Terence Williamson
Photography by Patricia Niven

Contents
Introduction
Eggs the Sunday Way
Toast the Sunday Way
Waffles, Pancakes and Fritters
Sunday Specialities
Baking the Sunday Way
Jams the Sunday Way
Condiments the Sunday Way
Drinks the Sunday Way
Index

Introduction
Although Sunday originally opened as a restaurant focusing on dinner,
brunch has always been at the heart of what we do and love. From the
moment we opened our doors in July 2013, we have been fortunate enough
to have a constant stream of brunch-loving customers, and this has only
increased over time.
We are both career chefs, and between us have a combined experience
of over 40 years working in busy kitchens (with the grey hairs to prove it).
We met in one of those kitchens, and after connecting over a love of food –
and an itch to be our own bosses – we decided to open Sunday. It was a
giant leap into the unknown, but one we have never regretted, and the
warm reception we received from our wonderful neighbours in Islington
played a huge part in that. Our ethos was – and remains – serving generous
portions of good food, made with seasonal, locally sourced produce.
We were part of the early wave of ‘proper’ brunch destinations in
London, who took it seriously as a legitimate meal, as opposed to
something that was an accidental overhang from breakfast. We observed
that brunch was being done elsewhere, but not as well as we would like, so
we made it part of our mission to change that. We always wanted Sunday
to be the kind of establishment where we would want to take our own
family and friends, and that remains our guiding principle.
Looking back, ur first brunch service was the perfect example of how
popular it would become: overwhelmed by demand we weren’t expecting,
we found ourselves having to serve smaller and smaller portions in order
to be able to continue serving customers to the end of the day. Both
delighted and dismayed by how spectacularly we had underestimated the
footfall of hungry brunchers, we ditched our plans to open for a dinner
service that evening and decided to prep for the following day’s brunch
service instead. We chuckle about it now, but it was an experience we
haven’t repeated since.
Opening day adventures aside, thankfully we were extremely well
received by our local neighbourhood, and word soon spread to the wider
public. It quickly became clear that brunch was the way forward; the
demand for it was never-ending, and we could see how its place in food
culture was changing at breakneck speed to become ‘the’ meal of the day.
So we decided to stop serving dinner and switch to focusing solely on
brunch. It was the right decision: we got our lives back (much to our
relief) and could also dedicate our efforts to satisfying the crowd of
brunch-lovers.
At Sunday, we focus on doing the classics well, with a modern twist and
a respect for seasonal produce. As an independent business, we are proud
to support other local independents and source from them whenever we
can. As a result, we have access to exceptional produce which makes great
food. Our menu is constantly changing to reflect seasonal ingredients and
whatever inspires us. The result is a range of creative, flavoursome, and
varied dishes, incorporating international influences, and providing plenty
of choice for sweet and savoury brunchers alike.
This book is a collection of our favourite and best brunch dishes of all
time. It is a reflection of our menu archives over the last six years and
includes both Sunday classics, which always feature on our menu – such as
our much-photographed pancakes and French toast – as well as some of
our popular weekly specials. We have also shared our recipes for delicious
sauces and jams, because it really does make a difference when you make
these from scratch.
Why write a book solely about brunch? Apart from the fact that it is –
literally – our bread and butter, it also celebrates what is arguably the most
joyous meal of the day. We felt brunch came out of nowhere, and as such
has been able to make up its own rules; it can be enjoyed any time of day;
it can be entirely sweet or savoury, or both in equal measure (a savoury
dish followed by a half/full stack of pancakes is a popular choice at
Sunday); it can be easy or complex; it can be a social ‘event’, bringing
people together or a casual, laid-back affair. More than anything, to us
brunch is fun, which is what good food should be.
Our goal here is to encourage food lovers to create a brunch experience
at home and prove that even the more complicated dishes are within reach.
It has been incredible for us to adapt our dishes into something accessible
and easy to make in your own kitchens, whilst faithfully replicating what
we produce in the restaurant. As well as sharing recipes for getting the
core brunch basics right (poached eggs, hollandaise, the simple yet
awesome avocado on toast), we have included tips we use in the restaurant
to make our – and your – lives easier. Often, elements of a dish can be
prepared in advance, and we flag up where this can be done. These tips can
make a big difference to the time and effort required when you want to sit
down and eat quickly. In terms of ingredients, we would encourage you to
explore what local produce your neighbourhood offers and buy the best
that you can.
The highest compliment would be to know that this book has become a
solid guide for brunching outside the box; one that is well-used, engaged
with, scribbled with notes, and encourages confidence to adapt the recipes