The weather is warming up and so is the ocean racing season, which means my creative juices are flowing when it comes to finding new recipes to feed the crew. Yes, I can stick with staple favourites like these Breakfast Burritos or Focaccia Breakfast Sandwiches, but it’s fun to mix it up and try something different.
We have one crew member who can’t eat pork and one who can’t eat cow dairy, which can make things a little challenging. Breakfast on board needs to be able to be thrown in an oven, passed up on deck and eaten with one hand in pretty much any conditions.
The conditions for the race these were served on were not quite what was forecast, hence I have no onboard photo or photo of the completed rolls, which I had intended to take. The forecast was for warm weather and light, abating winds. We got the warm weather, but the winds were far from light. It is fair to say these rolls managed to do the job. They happily sat warming in the oven until I could find an opportunity to get them into hungry hands during the race.
The rolls are packed with scrambled eggs, homemade chicken sausage, spinach and cheese, with goat cheese for our cow dairy-free crew member. The chicken sausage is gently spiced with cumin, coriander and paprika, giving it plenty of flavour without adding heat. A little homemade beetroot relish brings sweetness, acidity and colour, cutting through the egg, chicken and cheese and making this much more interesting than a standard breakfast roll. Luckily, the beetroot didn’t make a mess all over the deck either. Wrapping each roll in baking paper and foil helps keep everything where it belongs.
They are substantial without being overly heavy, can be made ahead and reheated when needed, and there’s enough protein to keep hungry crew going. They are worth making if you need a proper breakfast that travels well, can be eaten on the go and will keep you going long after breakfast is finished.
Worth Making?
YES – If you need a substantial make-ahead breakfast that freezes, reheats and travels well. Chicken and egg provide plenty of protein without making the rolls heavy or stodgy.
YES – If you’re bored with the usual bacon, egg and cheese breakfast roll. Gently spiced chicken and sweet-sharp beetroot relish give these a point of difference.
YES – If you need breakfast you can eat with one hand. Everything is contained inside the roll, making them particularly good for sailing, camping, road trips or busy mornings.
SKIP IT – If you want a freshly made café-style breakfast roll with runny eggs and plenty of sauce. These are designed specifically to hold up when made ahead, frozen and reheated.
SKIP IT – If you don’t like beetroot. Orange, vinegar and warm spices give the relish more complexity, but beetroot is still one of the defining flavours.
Chicken Sausage and Egg Breakfast Rolls with Beetroot relish
Ingredients
Beetroot Relish
- 500 g raw beetroot peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 large apple peeled and coarsely grated
- 100 ml apple cider vinegar
- 60 g brown sugar
- 80 ml orange juice
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- Small pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Chicken Sausage
- 1 kg chicken mince
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Scrambled Eggs
- 10 large eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1/2 tsp Fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil
To Assemble
- 10 sturdy soft bread rolls
- 150 g Edam thinly sliced. or150–180g firm or semi-hard goat cheese for a cow dairy-free option
- Beetroot relish
- Chicken sausage
- Scrambled eggs
- 150 g baby spinach
Instructions
Beetroot Relish
- Place the grated beetroot, apple, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and a good grind of black pepper in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer, then cook uncovered over low-medium heat for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently as the liquid reduces.
- The finished relish should be thick, glossy and quite jammy, with no loose liquid pooling in the pan. This is particularly important if you’re making the rolls ahead, as a wet relish will soak into the bread.
- Cool completely. Taste once cold and add another small splash of vinegar or pinch of salt if needed.
Chicken Sausage
- Place the chicken mince, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, lemon zest, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently until evenly combined.
- Divide into 10 portions and shape into thin patties slightly larger than the diameter of your rolls.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Cook the patties in batches until golden on both sides and completely cooked through. Alternatively, bake at 200°C until cooked through. Set aside to cool
Scrambled Eggs
- Whisk the eggs with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil or butter in a large frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the eggs and cook gently, folding rather than stirring constantly, until softly scrambled and just set.
- Don’t overcook them. They will cook further when the assembled rolls are reheated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Assemble Rolls
- Cut the rolls in half and lightly toast, you don’t want them crisp; you’re simply drying the surface slightly to help prevent the fillings from soaking into the bread.
- Cover the entire cut surface of each bottom roll with a layer of Edam or firm goat cheese. Don’t leave large gaps—the cheese helps create a barrier between the bread and the moist fillings.
- Top with a chicken sausage patty, scrambled egg and a layer of baby spinach.
- Add approximately 1 tablespoon beetroot relish, keeping it towards the centre of the roll rather than spreading it against the bread. Finish with the top of the rol.
- Wrap and store – Once all of the components are completely cool, wrap each assembled roll tightly in baking paper followed by foil.
- Refrigerate if using within the next day, or freeze for longer storage.
- To reheat – Thaw frozen rolls in the refrigerator where possible.
- Leave wrapped in foil and heat at 160–170°C for approximately 20–25 minutes or until hot through the centre.
- The exact reheating time will depend on the size of your rolls and your oven.
Make it your own way
- Cow dairy-free: Use a firm or semi-hard goat’s cheese instead of Edam.
- Change the cheese: Try Gouda or mature cheddar. Whichever you choose, cover the base of the roll completely to help protect it from moisture.
- Add some heat: Add chilli flakes or a little harissa to the chicken mixture.
- Change the greens: Swap the spinach for finely chopped kale or silverbeet; cook and squeeze it very dry before adding it to the eggs.
- Make it vegetarian: Leave out the chicken and add roasted potato or an extra-thick piece of scrambled egg.
- Make them smaller: Use smaller rolls for a lighter breakfast or substantial snack; simply divide the chicken and egg mixture into more portions.
- For travelling: Wrap the completely cooled rolls individually before freezing so they’re ready to grab, thaw and reheat.
