Russell Crowe’s Favourite

"The Good Old Fashioned Aussie Breakfast"

Russell Crowe’s favourite recipe reflects his Australian, macho, larrikin attitude.  It is something I also like when I’m travelling.  Nothing better than stopping in a road house somewhere out west and asking for “the lot” - the type of food that will keep you going all day. “The food for the man on the land”.

4 sausages (doesn’t matter what type), 4 slices of bacon (doesn’t matter how much fat on it), 2 tomatoes cut in half (no need for the fancy type) , 3 scrambled eggs (they are always free range in the bush), hash browns (see recipe below) and 4 pieces of bread with butter on top.

Poor Mister Crowe; he must be very sad when he goes to the Cannes Festival.

Scrambled Eggs: (for 1 person) Beat 3 eggs in a container with 1 tbsp of cream.  Place a saucepan or frypan on top of the stove on medium heat, melt one tbsp of butter and add the egg mixture.  Put on high heat and stir gently with a wooden spoon.  Season with salt, pepper and if you like, you can incorporate some of your favourite herbs.  Serve on top of toast.

Hash Browns (for 4 persons)

½ kg potatoes

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 large onion, cut into ½ inch cubes

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and cut into ½ inches cubes. (about 2 cups)  In a large saucepan of boiling salty water, boil the potatoes for about 5-7 minutes.  Drain and cool.  In a frypan, heat 1 tbsp of butter over a moderate to high heat until hot (but not smoking) and sauté the onions. Stir occasionally, until soft and caramelised.  Combine onions with potatoes in a bowl, stirring vigorously to partially break up potatoes.  (Hash browns may be prepared up to this point one day ahead, chilled and covered.)

In a non-stick frypan heat the remaining butter (1 tbsp) over a moderate heat until golden brown.  Add the potatoes and onion mixture and pack it evenly with the back of spatula to form a cake, until the underside is golden brown.  Invert a plate over the frypan and carefully turn the potato cake onto it.  Slide the potato cake back into the frypan and cook again until brown.   Invert it back into a baking dish or tray and bake for about 10 minutes in a moderate oven. (220 degrees)

To cook the sausages, toast and bacon you can figure that out for yourself!

Thank you very much Mister Crowe.  Would you send us one of your CDs if we send you a Cookbook?