ADMIT IT, COTTAGERS. Your breakfasts are boring. If you’re making bacon and eggs every morning, it’s not a treat anymore; it’s a routine. Every weekend only has two breakfasts; don’t miss an opportunity to make them special.
There’s a very cottagey solution to serving a morning meal that’s easy, delicious, and unforgettable—the barbecue. All the reasons a barbecue works for dinner apply to breakfast: everything cooks in one spot, cleanup is simple, it’s social, and—best of all—you can have that delicious grilled flavour, plus grill marks on your toast, to start the day.
And no, a barbecue breakfast doesn’t require getting up at the crack of dawn, unless that’s your thing. With the right recipes and gear, breakfast is fast and easy, whether you’re using propane or charcoal. And for the grillmaster who’s itching for a new tool, one of the new-to-North-America trends in barbecues is ideal for a big breakfast: the flat-top.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Egg and Smoked Trout
Serve these egg-filled mushrooms with lightly dressed greens for a great start to the day. Choose mushrooms big enough to hold an egg without overflowing. SERVES 4
4 portobello mushrooms, each at least 4" wide
¼ cup 35% cream (or 4 tsp melted butter)
⅓ cup flaked smoked trout or hot smoked salmon “candy”
4 eggs
smoked paprika
chopped fresh parsley, chives, or basil
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices sourdough bread
Softened butter, for toast
1 Remove stems from mushrooms. Using a spoon, carefully scrape out black gills from each mushroom cap, leaving raised edges intact. Discard gills and stem.
Place mushrooms on a preheated medium grill, gill-side down. Cook until just sizzling, 2–3 minutes.
