If like us, you love making brunch the centre of your at-home weekend plans, this is a page worth bookmarking. From a wholesome kedgeree dish to plant-based pancakes, some of our favourite female chefs share their go-to weekend brunch recipes.

“I’ve always loved the idea of kedgeree – a bowlful of curried rice at breakfast time flaked through with neon-yellow smoked haddock and crowned with a hard-boiled egg. I don’t like smoked haddock but I’ve solved that by using smoked salmon instead, which cooks beautifully, and I’ve used garam masala as I can’t stand regular curry powder. To make this a one pan wonder (and because everything is better with a runny yolk) I’ve baked the eggs in the rice just before serving. My little twist on a Victorian breakfast classic.” – Rachel Phillips, One Pan Pescatarian.

1. Melt the butter in a casserole or large, non-stick frying pan dish over a medium heat.

2. Top, tail and slice the spring onions and add them to the pan along with the chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced, and the petit pois. Fry everything gently for a minute or two until the chilli is soft and sizzling and the peas have defrosted and heated through.

3. Add the spices and fry for another minute or so until fragrant.

4. Slice the salmon into thin ribbons and add to the pan along with the rice and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Before you open the pouch of rice, squeeze it gently to break up the lumps.

5. Gently fry the rice mixture until the individual grains are well coated in buttery spices and the salmon has started to turn translucent.

6. Roughly chop the coriander and stir it into the rice, turning the heat down to low. Check the seasoning, then make wells in the rice to crack each egg into.

7. Cook the eggs for 3–4 minutes until the yolk is just set. I like this served with generous amounts of sriracha hot sauce.

“My aunty Tje Ie in Kupang, Timor, loves to make these when she has visitors – a tradition I’ve carried over to my home in London. Juicy, chunky kernels of corn come together with fragrant spices and aromatics to form these delicious fritters. They keep for up to 2 days in the fridge and, if prepared in advance, are best reheated in the oven for 10 minutes at 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3.

If using canned or frozen corn, squeeze out as much moisture as possible – the easiest way is in between layers of paper towels.” – Lara Lee, Coconut & Sambal

1. If using fresh corn, remove the outer husk and threads, then carefully slice down the outside of the cob with a knife, as close to the core as possible, to remove the kernels. Set them aside.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chillies and shallots and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes. Blend to a medium-fine paste in a small food processor with the spring onions and kaffir lime leaves, if using. Mix the spice paste with the corn kernels in a bowl and add the coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and eggs. Stir well to combine, then add the cornflour.

3. Fill a deep saucepan one-third full with oil. Heat the oil to 180°C. (If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, check the oil is at temperature by adding a cube of bread; it should turn golden in 15 seconds.)

4. Carefully drop a dessertspoonful of the batter into the hot oil – it should settle into a roughly circular shape. Repeat to make 6–8 fritters, without overcrowding the pan.

5. Fry until golden all over, about 4 minutes. Test one to ensure it is cooked through. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat to use up all the mixture, topping up the oil if needed. Serve immediately, with sambal or chilli sauce to dip, if using.

Variation: Pan-fried corn fritters

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat until the oil shimmers. Add spoonfuls of the corn mixture to the oil, flattening them lightly. Turn over after 2–3 minutes – they should be golden all over. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment and cook in the oven for 5–10 minutes – test one to ensure it is cooked through. Drain any excess oil on paper towels and serve.

“We’ve been making variations on these pancakes for years and they’re still a firm favourite; the ideal savoury brunch recipe and a dreamy quick lunch or dinner too, especially with lots of pesto. This recipe makes more pesto than needed for the two pancakes, but you can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. It’s very versatile, so is great to have in the house; we use the extra in pasta, spread on toast and sandwiches, stirred through quinoa, mixed into a salad dressing or tossed through roasted veggies.” – Ella Mills, Deliciously Ella

TO SERVE

handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
handful of rocket
handful of sunflower/pumpkin seeds

1. Start by making the pesto. Place all of the ingredients, except the water, in a blender or food processor with a pinch of salt and blend until it all comes together. We like to pulse the mix so that the almond stays a little crunchy, but you can also whizz it until it’s totally smooth if you’d rather.

Add a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

2. For the pancakes, place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Once the pan is warm, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5–10 minutes, until soft.

3. While the onions and garlic cook, continue making the pancake mixture. Place the gram flour in a bowl and slowly pour in 200ml of water, whisking until the mix is smooth and there are small bubbles on the surface.

4. Stir in the coriander, spices, lime juice and a pinch of salt and give it a final whisk, then stir in the cooked onion and garlic and the grated courgette.

5. Place the frying pan back on a medium heat, adding a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Once warm, pour in half of the pancake mix – you want it to be about 1cm thick. Let the pancake cook for 2–3 minutes, until the top side is no longer runny. Then flip and let it cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side. Repeat with the other half of the pancake mixture.

6. To serve, place the pancakes on two plates, pile high with the pesto, cherry tomatoes, rocket and seeds.