As we open our presents this Christmas morning, the Marvel Menu wants to take a moment to reflect on a personal tradition. For us, or at least for this humble reporter, there’s nothing more special then a Christmas morning breakfast. Going downstairs and opening presents with the smell of bacon in the background, toast, tea, eggs. You bury yourself in gifts, sit surrounded by wrapping paper and enjoy a snowy or not-so-snowy morning surrounded by the warmth of loved ones and the lights of your Christmas tree. It’s a special moment and a very special memory. In trying to compile something that would mean just as much to people on Christmas morning, I decided what better idea then sharing the tradition of a special Christmas breakfast – but giving it a Marvel flavor and theme?
Here at the Marvel Menu we strive to push the envelope. We thought sharing a breakfast would be a good idea, but what sort of breakfast would make the best impression? January 19th is only a few weeks away, why not look towards the opposite side of the Pond and ask ourselves what Peggy might eat on Christmas Morning? We’re pretty sure Peggy would stick with a simple scone and some tea, but I included a full English fry-up, just in case.
PEGGY CARTER’S TEA AND SCONES.
You can find a traditional English Breakfast tea at your local grocery store (or you can try some earl gray, also recommended, it’s delicious.) Breakfast tea contains caffeine however, so be careful. We’d be remiss however without recommending something Agent Carter however, and Adiago Teas has just the thing for you.
Adiago Tea is a website that allows people to purchase and make their own teas that are themed to specific collections, fandoms, or even groups of people. Their agent carter collections are numerous and delicious. Not only do they include Peggy themed teas, but you can enjoy a drink reminiscent of Jarvis, Howard, or even the recently returned Angie Martinelli.
We went straight BBC Good Foods for a classic english scone recipe. Our favorite jam was strawberry, but we hope you’ll try them with the clotted creme and share it with us!
INGREDIENTS
- 350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 85g butter cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 175ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- squeeze lemon juice (see Know-how below)
- beaten egg to glaze
- jam and clotted cream, to serve
PREPARATION
- Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar.Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven.Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you’ll probably need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray.Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.
Thanks again to BBC Foods for this fantastic recipe. Delicious and original. If Peggy had time to cook, chances are she might end up cooking this – or at least having Jarvis cook this for her. The full English breakfast is one of the more well known English dishes along with fish and chips. It became popular in the Victorian Era and was featured in the Book of Household management published in 1861.
BACON is a key part of any English breakfast. Specifically back bacon which is a much leaner cut of meat (as well as traditionally British.) taken from the belly and rear of the hog.
EGGS are also served, served either fried, poached, or scrambled. The preparation of eggs can be googled or researched. We personally recommend poached, which means cooking the egg in a simmering liquid. It’s delicious!
FRIED TOMATOES/MUSHROOMS deep fried tomatoes and mushrooms. Take the drippings from the bacon and apply them to the tomatoes and the mushrooms for a flavorful breakfast. It’s important to reuse all of these items!
FRIEND BREAD you can use butter and the bacon drippings (or just the bacon drippings) to fry two to three pieces of bread. It’s very rich so be careful, but enjoy it and spoon some of those tomatoes and mushrooms on them. We can promise it’s delicious!
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK the name is adorable and it’s a good practical use of a left over dinner. Take your left over vegetables from last night’s dinner and put them in a frying pan with mashed potatoes or crushed roast potatoes. Fry until brown on the sides. It’s named for the bubbling and squeaking sound that it makes while cooking. Don’t believe us? It’s a real dish!
SAUSAGES / BANGERS The Marvel menu’s favorite part of the meal, a banger is a sausage that – while being made of a lower quality meat – is still delicious. It might split open ever so slightly with a noise like a bang – hence the name banger. Other breakfast sausages can work just fine, but we’re talking traditional here. Only the best for a hungry agent on the go!
Whatever Peggy might chose for breakfast on this most special of mornings, we know that she’ll chose right and be surrounded by those she cares about. This holiday season we at the Marvel Menu wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons. Agent Carter premieres January 19th, expect many more dishes inspired by Peggy in the coming months. Excelsior!