Jackie Kai Ellis is incredible. A successful designer turned even more successful French pastry chef, she's incredibly worldly and talented--and also friendly and practical. You can't help but adore her. I had the opportunity to meet Jackie as part of Whole Foods' Brunch Bootcamp. If you've ever read any of my blog posts about food, you've probably figured out that I'm not terribly good at making food. However, I am a huge fan of BRUNCH. What isn't there to like--a leisurely decadent meal with a little of everything (sweet and savory), AND alcoholic beverages! After receiving an invitation from Whole Foods PDX to attend their Brunch Bootcamp with Jackie, I enthusiastically replied that I would love to attend. A little more info on Jackie:
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At Brunch Bootcamp, Jackie gave us some wonderful tips and tricks on how to create an amazing brunch experience. I loved her advice about flowers and flower arranging--bouquets are a bit of a luxury item, so create something that makes you happy when you look at it, whatever that may be. I love it.
Then she moved on to the main focus: BRUNCH. Jackie explained that making a confit is traditionally a very long process, but that her method greatly reduces the amount of time needed, but still results in the same flavor. She shared her recipes for a fabulous brunch cocktail, the Mimosa 75, and a delicious brunch treat, Pain Perdu, both of which use the confit orange as an ingredient, and shared samples of each with us--OH MY GOODNESS THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!! She also graciously provided us with parting gifts of mason jars with confit orange to take home. These recipes would be fantastic for brunch, Mother's Day, a special occasion, or any day, really!
Then she moved on to the main focus: BRUNCH. Jackie explained that making a confit is traditionally a very long process, but that her method greatly reduces the amount of time needed, but still results in the same flavor. She shared her recipes for a fabulous brunch cocktail, the Mimosa 75, and a delicious brunch treat, Pain Perdu, both of which use the confit orange as an ingredient, and shared samples of each with us--OH MY GOODNESS THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!! She also graciously provided us with parting gifts of mason jars with confit orange to take home. These recipes would be fantastic for brunch, Mother's Day, a special occasion, or any day, really!
Confit Orange
4 navel oranges (preferably organic, since the entire fruit will be eaten)
Juice of 2 lemons
1 vanilla bean husk
2.5lbs (1.13kg) granulated sugar
Bring water to a boil in a large pot and blanch the whole oranges for 1 minute. Remove the oranges and drain the water. Bring another fresh pot of water to a boil and blanch the oranges again for 1 minute to remove more of the bitterness in the skin, and drain the water.
Quarter the oranges along the stem, place in the pot, and add the sugar and lemon juice. Add enough wter to cover the oranges and slowly bring to a very low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 6-8 hours, until the skins begin to become translucent looking, the oranges are tender but still hold together, adding more water if needed. If you cannot tend to the burner for the entire 6-8 hours, cover the pot and resume the low simmer when you are able.
To store, place them in a canning jar with both segments and syrup. They will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Juice of 2 lemons
1 vanilla bean husk
2.5lbs (1.13kg) granulated sugar
Bring water to a boil in a large pot and blanch the whole oranges for 1 minute. Remove the oranges and drain the water. Bring another fresh pot of water to a boil and blanch the oranges again for 1 minute to remove more of the bitterness in the skin, and drain the water.
Quarter the oranges along the stem, place in the pot, and add the sugar and lemon juice. Add enough wter to cover the oranges and slowly bring to a very low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 6-8 hours, until the skins begin to become translucent looking, the oranges are tender but still hold together, adding more water if needed. If you cannot tend to the burner for the entire 6-8 hours, cover the pot and resume the low simmer when you are able.
To store, place them in a canning jar with both segments and syrup. They will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Mimosa 75
The perfect brunch drink, blending together a traditional mimosa and a French 75, making a drink that's both familiar and interesting.
Serves 1
1oz gin
1/2 oz orange confit syrup
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1.5 oz fresh orange juice
dry sparkling wine to top
ice
Combine gin, syrup, lemon and orange juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a slice of orange confit to serve.
If you're planning a large brunch, Jackie suggests pre-mixing all ingredients except the champagne, and then combining the mix and the champage as you serve.
1oz gin
1/2 oz orange confit syrup
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1.5 oz fresh orange juice
dry sparkling wine to top
ice
Combine gin, syrup, lemon and orange juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a slice of orange confit to serve.
If you're planning a large brunch, Jackie suggests pre-mixing all ingredients except the champagne, and then combining the mix and the champage as you serve.
Pain Perdu with Confit Orange
Jackie's description: "A wonderfully traditional French dessert, translating to "lost bread" since the recipe uses stale bread otherwise lost. It's best to use thick slices of dry brioche so as to soak up as much egg as possible to create a custard-like texture.
Serves 4
4 large eggs
1 vanilla bean, scraped of its seeds
1/2 tsp (2.5ml) fine sea salt
2 tsp (10ml) granulated sugar
1/3cup (79ml) whipping cream
4 thick slices of brioche or challah
4 tvsp (60ml) butter
2 oranges, segmented
Confit Orange
Whipped cream (optional)
In a shallow baking dish, mix together eggs, vanilla seeds, salt, sugar and cream. Add the brioche in one layer to soak up the egg, about 5 minutes on each side depending on the dryness of the bread. The drier the bread, the longer it will need to soak.
In a nonstick pan on medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter per slice. Place the dipped brioche into the butter, frying on both sides until golden, and remove from the pan onto a sheet tray or plate. You can choose to remove the crusts for a more elegant look or leave them for a rustic appearance. Plate the pain perdu warm, top with a slice of confit orange, fresh segments, and whipped cream to serve.
4 large eggs
1 vanilla bean, scraped of its seeds
1/2 tsp (2.5ml) fine sea salt
2 tsp (10ml) granulated sugar
1/3cup (79ml) whipping cream
4 thick slices of brioche or challah
4 tvsp (60ml) butter
2 oranges, segmented
Confit Orange
Whipped cream (optional)
In a shallow baking dish, mix together eggs, vanilla seeds, salt, sugar and cream. Add the brioche in one layer to soak up the egg, about 5 minutes on each side depending on the dryness of the bread. The drier the bread, the longer it will need to soak.
In a nonstick pan on medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter per slice. Place the dipped brioche into the butter, frying on both sides until golden, and remove from the pan onto a sheet tray or plate. You can choose to remove the crusts for a more elegant look or leave them for a rustic appearance. Plate the pain perdu warm, top with a slice of confit orange, fresh segments, and whipped cream to serve.