The First Meal

A great breakfast is a celebration of simple pleasures: clear morning light, the smell of coffee, comforting foods.

In modern times, pancakes and sausages have become the symbol of the quintessential breakfast. An ancient fare, they evoke hearth, country and memories of childhood--the old-fashioned qualities we yearn for during the holidays.

The recipes that follow feature delicious, easy-to-make variations on this theme: thin Swedish pancakes scented with lemon; homemade duck or pork sausages (which have the added virtue of containing no chemical additives and very little fat), and a warm cranberry sauce, reminiscent of wild lingonberries, for the pancakes.

The possibilities for embellishing this basic menu are endless. Freshly squeezed orange or pink-grapefruit juice are standard. Blood oranges, increasingly available in supermarkets, yield a superb juice with glorious color. Chilled fruit nectars and imported bottled juices, such as pear, mango, guava or black currant, add a bit of the exotic. Perfectly ripe fresh fruit, such as melon, pineapple, papaya or berries, are a fine first course while the pancakes are being made.

Coffee should be strong and smooth. The addition of chicory or a sprinkle of cinnamon or cardamom while the coffee is brewing adds lovely fragrance.

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This batter may be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, up to three days. The recipe can be doubled or tripled to serve more people.

SWEDISH PANCAKES

3/4 cup sifted flour

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Re-sift flour with powdered sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Whisk whole egg, egg whites, milk, water and lemon zest in another bowl until just combined. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in liquid mixture. Whisk until just combined and some small lumps remain. Do not overbeat. Batter will be quite thin, about consistency of whipping cream.

Heat large, well-seasoned griddle or skillet over medium heat until hot and drop of water skitters across surface, about 5 minutes. Brush griddle lightly with some of melted butter.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter onto griddle for each pancake, allowing room for them to spread to 3 inches. Cook until bubbles appear on surface of pancakes and undersides are golden, about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes over and cook until undersides are golden brown, about 1 minute longer.

Continue with remaining batter, brushing griddle with more melted butter as necessary. Serve at once or, if desired, transfer each batch to baking sheet lined with kitchen towel and keep warm in 200-degree oven while cooking remaining pancakes. Makes 4 servings of 6 (3-inch) pancakes.

Each serving contains about:

191 calories; 462 mg sodium; 72 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.06 gram fiber.

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These spicy sausage patties can be made with all duck, all pork or any combination of the two you choose. They are a good way to make use of the tougher leg meat from whole ducks whose breasts have been used to make duck steaks, although the breast meat works equally well.

DUCK OR PORK SAUSAGES

2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons low-fat milk

1 pound lean duck meat or pork loin, or any combination of 2 to equal 1 pound

2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg white

1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon olive oil

Toss bread with milk in medium bowl, breaking apart with fingers until pasty. Set aside to soften.

Coarsely chop meat in food processor fitted with metal blade, pulsing on and off. Do not overprocess (there should be some 1/4-inch chunks of meat remaining). Discard sinews or bits of fat from meat. Transfer 3/4 of meat to medium bowl, leaving 1/4 in work bowl.

Add bread mixture, egg white, pepper to taste, salt, thyme, coriander, allspice and ginger to food processor and pulse about 10 times until just combined. Add to meat in bowl. Knead to blend.

Using wet hands, scoop up 1 1/4-ounces of meat and shape into 2 1/2-inch patty. Place patty on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture to make 16 patties. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. (Patties can be made to this point up to 1 day ahead.)

Heat large, heavy skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot. Swirl in 1/2 of oil. Add 1/2 of sausage patties, spacing about 1 inch apart, and fry, turning once, until crusty brown on both sides and juices run clear when pierced with fork, about 5 minutes. Transfer to platter and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and patties. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Each serving contains about:

205 calories; 427 mg sodium; 52 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 0.12 gram fiber.

WARM CRANBERRIES IN SWEET BROWN BUTTER

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon warm water

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups fresh cranberries

Heat butter in large, heavy skillet over medium heat until light brown and smells like toasting nuts. Add water and sugar and shake pan until sugar has melted and mixture is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Add cranberries and cook, shaking pan and tossing berries, until cranberries release juices. Cook just until skins of cranberries begin to split but are still plump, about 2 minutes longer. Cranberries should be warm and slightly tart, juices syrupy and quite sweet. Serve warm. (Sauce can be made up to 5 hours ahead. Cover and set aside at room temperature. Rewarm briefly, uncovered, over low heat.) Makes 1 cup.

Each tablespoon contains about:

20 calories; 0 sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; tr fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.14 gram fiber.