How to Have Breakfast During the Heat
Hot summer. This is known. Nobody expects summer to be cold. But this summer and last was strangely hot. My beautiful city just broke its record for “consecutive days of 95℉ or higher” and my only air conditioner is struggling to keep the temperature in my living room below 80℉. (Also: My fridge is broken. I’m having fun.)
Needless to say, I don’t enjoy cooking right now, but I still enjoy food. Cooking breakfast and brunch foods like splattered bacon, boiled eggs, and stacks of steaming pancakes seems especially depressing, but I’m not going to stop eating breakfast and brunch, especially on the weekends.
Luckily, there are plenty of morning-healthy foods that taste incredible when served cold or at least room temperature, and none of them require you to turn on the oven or stovetop.
Make a salad for breakfast
Breakfast salads are very popular here at Lifehacker for many, many different reasons. You can start your day on a smug note (healthy!), but the salad is also delicious. I have a guide to making your best breakfast salad here , but the key to making it during the hot months is choosing ingredients that don’t need to be cooked, or at least not cooked right before serving: Boil a few eggs the night before. as soon as the temperature drops in the evening, and refrigerate them overnight; use prosciutto instead of bacon if you want a pork jerky product. Other than that, it’s a common test for making a salad. Make a sweet and sour dressing — like this bacon-fat vinaigrette — and add as many fresh summer vegetables (or fruits) as you can. (If you’re after toast, consider the humble potato fries —just remember to cook them in a deep fryer that doesn’t put out much heat.)
Take the Three Cs (Cookies, Cheese and Chilled Seafood)
The breakfast board is essentially a cured breakfast board with a curvy breakfast and it’s one of my favorite weekend treats. Eggs without minced meat are distinguished by a large amount of salted meat for support. I’m also a big fan of breakfast pâté as the spreads are quite sumptuous. If you want it to look like an extra breakfast, complete it with gourmet croissants, store-bought buns, good jams, and plenty of fresh seasonal fruit. (Need a theme for your breakfast board? I suggest a few here .)
In addition to meat and cheese, don’t forget to take a look at the treasures of the ocean. Oysters are a great way to start the day (especially with blood orange and bacon mignonette ), a shrimp or crab and horseradish cocktail is right at home next to a Bloody Mary, and caviar goes great with breakfast carbs . (What are pancakes other than tiny pancakes ?) Just be sure to make pancakes in the cool of the evening the night before (or just buy them). And don’t overdo it: bagels and salmon are the iconic breakfast that doesn’t need to be cooked, and for good reason.
Serve cold fried chicken
One of my favorite breakfasts, no matter the temperature, is leftover chilled fried chicken. I have already explained my obsession with the cold bird , but let me remind you:
Cold fried chicken is delicious. Unlike other fried foods that used to be hot but are now cold, like french fries, fried chicken retains its crunch. The fat solidifies into a thin layer of what I like to call “chicken butter,” and the seasonings shine brighter when they stop fighting the hot fat for space on the palate. It’s no exaggeration to say that I prefer cold fried chicken to fresh hot chicken (although admittedly that would be close).
Order a large box or bucket of chicken from your favorite chicken establishment, refrigerate overnight, then serve alongside some honey-and-jam bread, bright red tomato slices, and plenty of bright champagne .
Don’t forget the drinks
Everyone is mildly dehydrated right now, so drinks are more important than usual. Mimosas and Marys are good, but they need to be paired with a huge pitcher of water (add lemon and cucumber slices to make it more inviting) or chilled cans of seltzer.
If you’re going to serve coffee, make it iced and also consider a pitcher of iced tea. Tea may not be as hydrating as pure water, but it’s still more hydrating than champagne and orange juice, and when it’s that hot, every ounce of hydration is critical.