French Toast

Sunday breakfast is my time to experiment. For the last couple of weeks I've been trying to perfect my own version of french toast: doughnut-like in the middle, crisp on the outside, and definitely sweet. My first attempt had a rather suspect ratio of egg:milk, ending up with a sort of omelette-wrapped piece of bread. I can assure you that I have since successfully amended that faux pas. I used baguette because the crusts give a really nice crispness to contrast the softer middle - this is because they don't soak up the liquid as much as a standard batch loaf crust does. You can serve this with whatever you fancy, I've gone with maple syrup, pecans and berries, but there are plenty of other variations: maple syrup and pancetta would work equally well; as would berries, cinnamon sugar and creme fraiche; or banana, flaked almonds and honey.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

1 egg

4 tbsp milk, (ideally use full cream or semi-skimmed milk)

2 heaped tbsp sugar

About 1/4 of a french stick (a day or two old), top and bottom crust removed, halved lengthways, then cut down the middle to make 4 pieces.

Maple syrup, raspberries and pecans to serve

1 tsp butter for frying

Method:

• In a wide, shallow bowl, use a fork to beat together the egg, milk and sugar.
• Lay the bread in the egg mix (the liquid should come up to about 1/3 of the depth of the bread) and leave to soak for about 30 seconds each side - it may not soak up all the liquid, but don't worry. I think of it like cooking steak, leave it to soak until the bread's soaked halfway through, turn over, then remove once it's absorbed enough just to leave an untouched bit of bread in the very middle (like the line of raw pink in the middle of a steak). I find this just prevents it from becoming too soggy once cooked.
• Add the butter to a frying pan on a medium heat, once hot, add the toasts and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and a bit caramelised - you may need to press the bread down slightly to ensure it gets cooked completely through.
• Serve with the syrup, raspberries and pecans - or any other toppings you fancy.