Wake up and smell the pancetta

Cooking breakfast -- and we’re not talking about frying an egg or zapping some instant oatmeal here but real cooking -- is something that doesn’t happen nearly often enough. Especially this time of year, when a morning meal with assertive flavors and substance can really be appreciated. It’s the changing season, the approaching holidays, that make us want to linger a little in the morning before braving the weekend chores.

The problem is the standard breakfast repertoire. It’s a stubborn meal that wants to stay bland and conventional -- otherwise you’ve got brunch on your hands.

For breakfast to be breakfast, it’s got to center on morning favorites such as omelets, pancakes and hash.

It’s a problem restaurant chefs face all the time.

“Breakfast is tough,” says Warren Schwartz, executive chef at Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas. “It’s harder than dinner, I think. At dinner time, people are more relaxed, they’re drinking wine. At breakfast they all want their eggs cooked a certain way. And everybody knows how to make breakfast. They’re not as easily impressed.”

We were impressed with how three chefs -- Schwartz; Helene Brennan, executive chef of the Restaurant at the Getty; and John Gladish, Regent Beverly Wilshire Dining Room chef -- elevated familiar breakfast dishes from the mundane to the memorable.

Schwartz’s twist on the pancake involves adding beaten egg whites at the last minute to create pancakes that have the light, custardy texture of a souffle. He serves them with blackberry compote.

“I’m a big vanilla fan,” says Schwartz, who uses the fresh bean in his batter. “And I don’t want the pancakes too sweet. The sweetness on the plate comes from the compote and the creme fraiche. You can play around with any fruit for the compote, but it should have some acid and not be cloyingly sweet.”

Make the compote up to a few days before and, if you like, mix the batter a few hours before the meal, but always wait until the last minute to fold in the egg whites. Don’t overcook; Schwartz says the pancakes should be a little soft inside, like a souffle.

For breakfast lovers who’ve never ventured beyond corned beef hash, Helene Brennan’s butternut squash and pancetta hash is completely surprising.

“The hash technique,” Brennan says, “allows you to combine ingredients with similar textures and very different flavor profiles.” Her hash balances the sweetness of the squash with the saltiness of the pancetta. Basil, she says, “is the pungent herb that stands up and says hello and makes the whole thing come together.”

Brennan’s butternut squash hash makes a good seasonal dish for a big family-style breakfast. If you dice and par-cook the squash and potatoes the night before, it won’t take long to saute the vegetables and pancetta in the morning. Serve it with other platter-style dishes such as scrambled eggs and steamed spinach.

Gladish’s lemon dill omelet combines smoked salmon, eggs, lemon and dill in a way that shifts the traditional flavor emphasis of the ingredients: Lemon is the intriguing top note here, evenly distributed throughout the eggs. It’s offset nicely by the smoky salmon and bright dill.

“It’s a transformation of a smoked salmon scramble or frittata,” Gladish says.

The omelet should not be browned or cooked hard but should, like its flavor, stay soft.

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Souffle pancakes with blackberry compote

Total time: 40 minutes, plus overnight vanilla-infusing time

Servings: 6 (makes 16 to 18 4-inch pancakes)

Note: From Warren Schwartz, executive chef at Saddle Peak Lodge. Creme fraiche is available in the dairy section of well-stocked markets.

Blackberry compote

8 cups fresh blackberries, divided

1/3cup sugar (or to taste)

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Set aside 2 cups blackberries. Combine 6 cups blackberries, the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and cook over low heat until the blackberries are soft and the mixture is heated through, about 8 minutes.

2. Blend the mixture in a blender or food processor. Place the mixture back in the pan and stir in the reserved fresh blackberries; set aside.

Whipped creme fraiche

1/2cup heavy whipping cream

1/2cup creme fraiche

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1. Combine the whipping cream, creme fraiche and powdered sugar in a bowl. Whip until the cream is stiff, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pancake batter

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups milk

1 vanilla bean

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) butter

10 egg whites

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1. The night before preparing the pancakes, combine the egg yolks and milk in a container. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the insides into the egg yolk and milk mixture. Place the vanilla bean rinds into the mixture as well and soak overnight. When ready to use, remove the rinds.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the egg yolk and milk mixture to the flour and then add the melted butter. Beat the mixture with a whisk until smooth.

3. Place the egg whites in a bowl. Add the powdered sugar. Beat to form a stiff meringue.

4. Gently fold the meringue into the pancake batter.

5. Using a large spoon or a half-cup measure, drop the batter onto a hot, buttered griddle, forming small pancakes. When the pancakes begin to show bubbles on the top and look dry around the edges, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, gently flip them over. Continue to cook until the pancakes become somewhat firm, about 1 more minute.

6. To serve, top with blackberry compote and whipped creme fraiche.

Each serving: 578 calories; 15 grams protein; 71 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams fiber; 28 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 146 mg. cholesterol; 277 mg. sodium.

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Butternut squash and pancetta hash

Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6

Note: From Helene Kennan, executive chef at the Restaurant at the Getty Center. Prep the squash and potatoes the night before and you’ll have only some chopping and a quick saute at breakfast time.

4 cups peeled, diced butternut squash

2 cups peeled, diced Yukon Gold potatoes

6 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 1/4tablespoons olive oil

1 leek (white and pale green parts only), sliced (about 1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2teaspoon salt

1/4teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1. Bring a 5- to 6-quart pot of salted water to a boil and partially cook the squash and potatoes, about 5 minutes, then transfer them with a slotted spoon to a colander. (You can do this the night before; just keep them refrigerated.)

2. Cook the pancetta in the oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat, stirring until browned, about 6 minutes. Add the leek and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the squash, potatoes, salt and pepper and saute, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully stir in the fresh basil. Serve with scrambled or poached eggs and steamed spinach.

Each serving: 182 calories; 5 grams protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 8 mg. cholesterol; 353 mg. sodium.

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Lemon dill omelet

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 1

Note: From Regent Beverly Wilshire Dining Room chef John Gladish

1 tablespoon butter

Zest of 1 lemon, finely diced

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1/3cup chopped cured Scottish salmon

1 teaspoon sour cream (optional)

3 lemon slices (for garnish)

1. Clarify the butter by melting it in a small saucepan and skimming off the white foam.

2. Warm the clarified butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Stir together the lemon zest, eggs and dill in a small bowl and pour the mixture into the skillet.

3. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture thoroughly until the eggs form soft mounds. Let it rest on low heat until the top of the omelet is almost dry, about 1 minute.

4. Add the chopped salmon in a thin layer over half the surface of the eggs. Fold the omelet over and lift it onto a plate.

5. Garnish with the sour cream and lemon slices.

Each serving: 393 calories; 26 grams protein; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 30 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 678 mg. cholesterol; 941 mg. sodium.