FRENCH TOAST WITH CRANBERRY RELISH
Whenever I pass by a French bakery I can’t resist buying a loaf of freshly baked bread. One of my favorites is the classic sourdough bread, pain de levain. All you need is a slice, some good butter, and a cup of tea to turn a bad day into a good one.
But if you find yourself with a few extra slices, it’s great to turn them into French toast. I like to garnish mine with some cranberry relish. Make sure to make the relish the day before so that it can set up in the refrigerator. The tartness goes nicely with the sweet syrup. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS (serves 2)
FOR CRANBERRY RELISH
12 ounces of fresh cranberries
1 cup of sugar
3 ounces orange juice
¾ teaspoon grated ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Zest of one orange
FOR FRENCH TOAST
4 pieces pain de levain (or brioche)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
maple syrup
confectioners sugar (for garnish)
PREPARATION
FOR CRANBERRY RELISH*
Rinse cranberries in a colander and remove any squishy cranberries. Set aside.
In a large saucepan on medium heat, combine sugar, orange juice, ginger and cinnamon. Stir until combined and sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil.
Add the cranberries and combine them with the mixture. Cook about 4-5 minutes until the cranberries begin to pop.
Skim off any foam that has formed on the surface.
Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest. Once cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. This will keep for at least two weeks.
FOR FRENCH TOAST
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, mik, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix well. Soak each piece of bread in the egg mixture.
Heat a large skillet. Add in one tablespoon of butter until it begins to foam. Place the four pieces of bread on the skillet and cook about two minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown. Remove each piece of bread to a plate and add the 2nd tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Flip the bread pieces over and cook for another two minutes or until brown.
TO PLATE: Place two pieces of bread on each plate. Add a dollop of the cranberry sauce. Using a tea strainer, sift some confectioners sugar on top. Serve with maple syrup.
*NOTE: This cranberry relish recipe makes way more than you need to garnish the French toast. But it’s so good, you’ll want the extra on hand.