Bobby Flays Favorite Brunch Recipes

Bobby Flay might be coming to your town! Williams Sonoma is proud to partner with the celebrity chef for an upcoming series of book-signing events from Fairfax, Virginia to Houston, Texas. Each event ticket includes a copy of his brand-spanking-new cookbook, Bobby at Home: Fearless Flavors From My Kitchen.

Bobby’s popularity launched with the Food Network show “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” in which he’d challenge local superstar chefs to a cook-off involving their signature dishes. The first chef to claim a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Flay is a James Beard Award winner, the author of 14 cookbooks, and has starred in 14 Food Network programs.

We’re thrilled to be able to share a few of Bobby’s best brunch recipes, from the chocolate chip pancakes his daughter Sophie loves to the home fries that will have your guests thinking you snuck out to the local diner.

Is Bobby Flay coming to your town? Click here to find out.

Sophie's Chocolate Chip Pancakes

As a teenager, my daughter, like most teen girls, loved to have sleepovers. And every time we hosted those giggle-fests, I knew what my job was going to be the next morning: short-order cook. These chocolate chip pancakes were Sophie's go-to order, and I happily prepared them for her and her friends on countless weekend mornings. Now that Sophie is grown, I still make them for her every time she comes home for a visit. The girl loves chocolate, and I love making her smile. It helps to prepare the batter slightly ahead of time; letting it rest for at least 20 minutes is the secret to light and fluffy pancakes.

Makes 16 pancakes

1 ? cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
? teaspoon baking soda
? teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs
1 ? cups plus 3 tablespoons buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until combined.Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk in a small bowl until smooth. Add the wet ingredients and the melted butter to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fold in the chocolate and let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes and up to 30 minutes.Heat a nonstick or cast-iron griddle or pan over medium heat. Brush the griddle or pan with butter. Drop ? cupfuls of batter into the pan, making sure to leave plenty of room between each pancake for the batter to expand.Cook for a minute or two, until the batter bubbles at the edges and browns on the bottom, then carefully flip the pancakes and cook for a minute or two on the second side, until the batter is completely cooked through and the pancakes are puffy and deep golden brown. Serve the pancakes as you make them, or transfer them to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 250?H oven. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Classic Home Fries

I feel like people are either Team Home Fry or Team Hash Brownthe only difference being one is made with diced potatoes and the other with shredded potatoes. Not true with meI am living proof that you can be a fan of both. Even so, I tend to make home fries more often because I'd rather dice than shred my potatoes! A few tips for perfection: Boil the potatoes first (for even texture and a creamy interior), and cook them in a combination of butter and oil for maximum flavor without burning. A cast-iron pan will help you achieve the ultimate crust.

Serves 4-6

Kosher salt
2 ? pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ?-inch dice
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
? cup thinly sliced fresh chives

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons salt and the potatoes and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander.Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the butter to the pan. Increase the heat to high and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onion and cook, stirring a few times, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion to a plate.Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and he butter to the pan. Increase the heat to high and heat until the butter has melted and the oil is sizzling. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and immediately use a wide metal spatula to press them into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Cook, pressing down occasionally but not turning them, until the potatoes on the bottom are golden brown and crusty, about 5 minutes. Turn the potatoes over, press down again, and cook until the potatoes on the bottom are golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the onion and season with salt and pepper.Transfer to a shallow bowl or a platter, garnish with the chives, and serve.

Variations

Red Chile Home Fries: Follow the recipe as written, but in step 3, after adding the potatoes to the pan, stir in 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder and ? teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the salt and black pepper, and stir in ? cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves with the onion at the end.

Fresh Herbs: Follow the recipe as written, but in step 3, stir in ? cup chopped fresh herbs along with the onion.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Easiest thing in the world, right? Sure, anyone can scramble eggs, but perfect scrambled eggs? There are a few tricks of the trade to do this: First, use a nonstick pan. Second, cook over low heat. Give yourself a little time. Third, undercook them! Cut the flame just before you think your eggs are done, and let the carryover heat finish cooking them. Fourth, butter. Lots of butter. That, plus a touch of crme fra?che. Fifth, do not season with salt until the very end (the salt can make the egg toughen). Follow these rules, and you will never have flabby, rubbery scrambled eggs again.

Serves 4

12 large eggs
4 tablespoons (? stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
? cup crme fra?che
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flavorings of your choice (optional)

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until light, frothy, and uniform in color. Strain the eggs through a fine-mesh strainer into a separate bowl.Combine the butter and crme fraiche in a large nonstick saute pan. Pour the eggs into the pan and turn the heat to low and cook slowly; mix gently using a heat-resistant rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until soft curds form, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat (the eggs will still be somewhat wet). Season with salt and pepper, and add any flavoring additions you'd live (pictured opposite with goat cheese, chives, and romesco). Let stand for 1 minute more to allow the heat of the pan to finish cooking the eggs. Serve immediately.

Additional Flavorings

Gently fold in any of these additions just as the eggs are coming off the heat:
? ? cup thinly sliced scallions
? 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
? ? cup crumbled goat cheese
? ? cup romesco sauce (see page 54)
? 4 ounces b?cheron cheese

Is Bobby Flay coming to your town? Click here to find out.