First off, congratulations. If you're here it means you've found yourself at the foot of a cleared schedule or in possession of one of those rare days with no plans save for one: to do nothing. Well not nothing, but maybe less strenuous tasks. Taking a walk. Cleaning the shower. Completing the last chapter of that book at your bedside. Calling your mum.

For some this is a Sunday ritual, for others a long weekend luxury. Since you're not rushing out the door to do who knows what, who knows where, why not ease into the day with a slow and drawn out breakfast? The windows are open or maybe you've lit a candle and the smell of filter coffee is dancing through the kitchen. Set up your book and pop on a podcast, no need to research – we've put together a list of our favourite breakfast recipes below.

 

1. Buttermilk Pancakes

Images: @seasonalsimone

It wouldn't be breakfast without a mention of pancakes. Crepes are a luxury, pikelets a novelty; I always love a classic American diner style hotcake but adjust the format to fit your mood. Shake and pour pancake mix is a known quantity and you can customise whichever way you fancy (blueberries, chocolate chip, banana – all three). But if you have a little bit of time up your sleeve and a whisk at hand, this recipe is equally low energy, high reward. Drown in maple syrup, serve with a side of bacon and enjoy with black coffee. Or don't, this is your morning. Do as you please.

 

2. Full English

How do you expect to pull off a full day of nothing on an empty stomach? Heat up the cast iron pan and silence your growls with a breakfast of champions: the classic fry-up. Mandatory: eggs, bacon, a blistered tomato or two and a healthy wash of beans. Open to interpretation: If you need something green, by all means. Potato is welcome, whatever form, and don't be afraid of heating up a bit of boudin noir, I like the one from LP's best. And there you have it, your own IRL Max Berry painting.

 

3. Chilaquiles

Truthfully, I've never been much of a Shakshouka person. Eaten out, the sauce is never right, either raw-tasting or undersalted, and I always imagine someone blindfolded throwing in handfuls of cumin. Made at home is a different story. All of this is to say for a comforting, hearty breakfast that still involves a tomato element, Chilaquiles are a winner. There's the green style with tomatillos or your red sauce. Both are fragrant and savoury and although a little involved, required eating.

 

4. Congee

The king of cosy, savoury breakfast foods is always a bowl of congee. Everyone has their own approach, largely dictated by geography, but it's basically rice porridge. And who can't get behind that? We all know the rice is merely a vehicle for all the toppings anyway; dustings of pork floss, soy, chilli oil, fried garlic, scallions and, since this is breakfast, an oozy perfectly poached egg or a showing of mushrooms. Scoop it all up with a stick of youtiao. Rosheen Kaul's recipe calls for fish, but like I've said, this is your party, your rules.

 

5. Panettone French Toast

Image: @youforgottheblueberries_

A bunch of long weekends occur around Christmas time, which as it so happens is a time of year when you're accosted with Panettone (just me?) Unless your relatives or friends are forking out for the crumbly top, dense and expensive kind, there's only so much dry, yoghurty Pandoro a person can stomach. Time to make French toast out of these proverbial lemons. I love the custardy inside with the crusty outer, which is best achieved on a cast iron pan. Dust with icing sugar and serve with fresh stone fruit and coffee.

 

6. The Scando

Sydney cafe Cornersmith is an institution and it's simple Scando breakfast is a beloved staple on its menu (although just about everything is). It's not fussy but it is flash, in the way a segment of in season and perfectly ripe mandarin can be. Or soft boiled eggs and soldiers can feel. They're not reinventing the wheel, but they are making simple things feel as if they could be. Also, there's something primal about a hunk of cheese and rye that makes me feel like i'm either living on a farmhouse in rural Denmark; or stuck in the 15th century ploughing into my only meal of the day at the village inn. Both are fun images.

 

7. Kimchi Toastie

OK, so you've got the day off but you refuse to spend all of it in the kitchen. I hear you. Doesn't mean you have to settle for a single Weet-Bix eaten like a muesli bar. Grab the kimchi you've been chipping away at with a fork, time to turn it into a fully-fledged meal, kind of. Time for Maangchi to take the wheel.