9 best breakfasts to cure hangovers, according to Britain's top chefs
From poached eggs to green juices to sushi, nine top chefs tell the Independent their cure for the morning after the night before
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Your support makes all the difference.Everyone has their own remedy for a hangover : Drinking a pint of water before bed to prevent the onset in the first place, eating a banana to restore potassium levels, making a fry-up to satisfy those salt cravings or just hobbling as fast as your hungover legs will carry you to the nearest McDonalds.
However, often these remedies just don’t cut it and making a clear and coherent choice of what to put into your body after essentially poisoning it for several hours the night before can be a particularly hard task.
“What to cook? What will make me feel human again? What is an instant cure which will involve little movement?” are common questions that run through the hungover yet hungry mind as you stumble to the fridge bleary and bedraggled.
Never fear, The Independent has asked nine respected chefs, cooks and food bloggers what exactly people should be making for breakfast the morning after the night before. You’re welcome.
Matcha, Maca and protein
Lorraine Pascale, TV chef and former model
“My ultimate hangover cure is a concoction it’s taken me years to find but it really works for me. Mix some Matcha Green Tea, add some Maca powder and some protein powder. It really wakes me up and knocks the hangover on the head!”
Green smoothie
Adam Simmonds, Michelin-star chef and executive chef of Pavillion, London
“I would say a green smoothie is always a winner. Or, if something more substantial is needed, poached eggs on toast with crushed avocado with seeds such as flax, sunflower or chia. Both help reintroduce some much-needed vitamins and nutrients back in your body and the smoothie is really hydrating too. My green smoothies usually consist of coconut water, spinach, grapes, cucumber, a granny smith apple and kiwi.”
Huevos rancheros
Sophie Michell, chef, TV presenter and food writer
“Gone are the days when I reach for a fry up post-party. I need full on flavours the next day to wake me up. I love Huevos Rancheros or some sort of take on it. Think fried eggs with onions, chilli, coriander and tomatoes then add some feta cheese and lime-laced avocado to the plate with the all important corn tortillas or flatbreads to wrap/mop it up. I also tend to have a deep green spirulina boosted smoothie (it actually helps) or, if it's a weekend, a punchy bloody Mary”
Protein pancakes
Joe Wicks, The Body Coach
“I always tell people, it's fine to have the occasional blow out as long as you get back on track the next day - so that includes if the blowout was getting a bit boozy and you have a hangover. Training and eating right will clear your head and make you feel better so I try and do that - so after training I'd reward myself with some tasty protein pancakes that look naughty but are actually fuelling my body so it can get back on track!”
Sushi
Tom Cenci, executive chef, Duck and Waffle
“My hangover go to is Sushi. I know that sounds strange for a breakfast dish but most of the time if I have been drinking, I’m not up early. The simple umami flavours and the sweetness of the rice really help clean out the toxins left in my body. If it’s really bad you can always go for something with a bit more of a kick like fire cracker rice or spicy karaage chicken to cure those hangover blues.”
Full English
Ben Ebbrell, chef, SORTEDfood YouTube channel
‘You’ve really got two options when it comes to hangover breakfast food - you’re either in a mood where you just want to eat EVERYTHING, or, you go down the I’m-going-to-counter-this-by-being-really-healthy route. If it’s the first, well, nothing beats a full English fry up - beans, toast, sausages, egg, beans, the lot. If it’s the second, I’d suggest our Banana ’Soothie’ recipe, which is a quick pick-me-up recipe. It has milk that helps with nausea, dark chocolate which is an anti-depressant to counter the alcohol/beer fear, and the natural goodness of a banana: Peel and break the banana into quarters, blend it with a handful of pecans and tablespoon of honey, blitz until smooth and add in a small cup of milk little by little until you’re happy with the consistency then blitz again. Enjoy!”
Quick rice
Harneet Baweja, founder of Gunpowder restaurant, London
“My go-to hangover cure starts with leftover rice, mixing in onion, tomato, ginger and garlic and frying with an egg plus any odds and ends you have in the fridge. Its a quick and easy version of a Masala fried rice; the rice soaks up all the alcohol and with chilli and turmeric mixed in for some great health benefits”.
Eggs and spinach
Anna Hansen MBE, The Modern Pantry, London
‘If I was back in New Zealand then the prefect hangover breakfast is ‘a dirt bag’ – Kiwi slang for a mince pie. Here, I turn to poached eggs with zingy yuzu hollandaise and some simply cooked spinach plus some toast with lashings of butter. As you can tell from this, it’s fat I crave – and someone once told me that the body needs fat to expel toxins so who am I to argue!’ For the Yuzu Hollandaise: Melt 250g unsalted butter in a pan. Separately, whisk together 3 egg yolks, one whole egg, 60ml yuzu juice and a squeeze of lemon juice then place it in a bowl over a bowl of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk until it begins to thicken, remove from heat and still whisking, pour in the warm melted butter a little at a time. Season to taste."
Fancy porridge
Ben Tish, chief director of Salt Yard Group
“When I worked in the West Highlands a few years ago, in a hotel, there were a lot of hangovers at breakfast. The order of the day was a bowl of creamy porridge with a brown sugar brûlée top and a large shot of whiskey poured over. Quite the hair of the dog! After that you'd have a full Scottish breakfast with black and white pudding and a tattie scone!”
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