Brunch on Saturday: Bacon and eggs rarebit and breakfast tart

This week in Brunch on Saturday, we get cosy in a home-from-home cafe in Winchester and give the classic bacon and eggs a twist by turning it into an easy tart

Brunching out...

There’s nothing better than feeling like you’re at home, when you’re eating out. The key elements are the same – comfy seating, relaxing décor, friendly people – with the added bonus that someone cooks for you, meaning you can sit back and enjoy eating, drinking and leafing through the weekend papers.

It’s a vibe The Corner House, with the help of manager Thea, has spent a lot of time cultivating – making you feel at home, in their home.

Rarebit with crispy bacon and fried eggs

The shabby chic theme is made up of mismatching old chairs, clashing colours and eccentric patterns, tasselled oversized lampshades, hanging plants and large ferns. Aside from its appearance, The Corner House makes a great effort to support the local community. The cafe is part of an independent group of venues in Winchester who clubbed together in response to the influx of chains in the city. Supporting local suppliers is important to The Corner House – something they make clear on the menu, which reads “local, loyal and lovely”. Meat and vegetables, coffee and beers, are bought locally from independent companies.

As well as offering traditional breakfasts with twists such as confit tomatoes, the brunch menu, which is served all day, includes original dishes inspired by world cuisine. The pan bakes (£9), made up of a rich tomato sauce with chorizo and topped with cheese and eggs, served with a side of bread for dipping, is spicy, rich and hearty. While the rarebits, made with grilled rich cheese, can either be topped with tomato, watercress and fried eggs, or bacon and eggs (£8.95).

Then there’s brioche eggy bread, homemade waffles, fish pie, a burger and salads. In short, the all-day menu is big, but not overwhelmingly big. And if it does take you a while to choose a dish, the food is good enough that you won't mind sticking around – after all The Corner House is not a bad place to be.

The Cornerhouse Pub, 71 North Walls, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8DA; 01962 827 779; ch@littlepubgroup.co.uk; the.littlepubgroup.co.uk/the-corner-house

Brunching in...

Breakfast tart

A twist on the classic bacon and eggs, preparing this tart won't present you with any of the timing issues that comes with cooking a full English for a large and hungry gathering.

Serves 4

1 x 500g ready-to-roll puff pastry
4 large free-range eggs, plus 1 extra lightly beaten for glazing
8 rashers of streaky bacon
75g crème fraîche
50gGruyère cheese, grated
a few fresh chives, snipped, to decorate
sea salt and ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Lightly grease a baking tray.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to ½cm / ¼in thick and cut into a 30cm x 20cm / 12in x 8in rectangle. Place the pastry on the prepared baking tray. Using a paring knife, score a border 1cm / ½in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick the centre of the pastry. Brush the border with the beaten egg and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Lightly grease a frying pan and fry the bacon over a medium-high heat until crisp. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the crème fraîche mixture on to the pastry, keeping the border clean. Lay the bacon on top, slightly overlapping the slices.

Bake the tart for 15 minutes, rotating the baking tray halfway through baking. Remove the baking tray from the oven and place it on a level heatproof surface. Using a fork, prick any large air pockets in the pastry.

Crack the eggs on to the tart, spacing them 5cm / 2in apart. Return to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks still soft, about 7–10 minutes. Transfer the tart to a platter, decorate with the chives, and serve immediately.