Mother's Day Brunch: French toast, a fry and fruity soda bread
Serves 2
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp of vanilla essence
- 150mls of milk
- 4 slices of bread – it can be a little stale
- sunflower oil for frying
- 3 tsp of runny honey
- 1 tsp of vanilla essence
- 10g of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of hot water
- 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
- a knob of butter
Beat the eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and milk together. Pour into a flat dish so the bread can steep easily. Lay the slices of bread into the dish, turn them over after about ten minutes to ensure they are well soaked.
While the bread is soaking caramelise the banana by mixing the honey, vanilla and sugar into the warm water. Heat the butter in a pan and fry the bananas until they are golden on each side. Add the honey mixture and allow to bubble gently for a minute or two then remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat the sunflower oil in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat. Fry the bread until golden on each side. Serve hot with the banana and some natural yoghurt.
Serves 1
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tender stem broccoli tips
- 5 Asparagus spears
- Handful of button mushrooms, halved
- Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- Handful of leftover baby potatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 slice of rye or sourdough bread
- 1-2 free-range eggs
- 30g feta cheese (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
Add the broccoli tips, asparagus spears and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
Put the frying pan back on the heat, add ½ tbsp oil, add the potatoes and fry for 5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to the plate.
Toast the bread. Meanwhile, put the frying pan back on the heat and add ½ tbsp olive oil. Break in the egg, lower the heat and fry until cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate.
Place the vegetable mixture beside it, then crumble over the feta on top (if using) and enjoy with your buttered toast.
Makes 1 loaf
- 450g plain white flour, preferably unbleached
- 1 level tsp bread soda
- 1 level tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 75g sultanas (or more if you’d like)
- 1 free-range egg
- about 350 – 425ml buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 220ËšC/gas mark 7.
In a large mixing bowl, sieve in the flour and bicarbonate of soda; then add the salt, sugar and sultanas. Mix well by lifting the flour and fruit up into your hands and then letting them fall back into the bowl through your fingers. This adds more air and therefore more lightness to your finished bread.
Now make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Break the egg into the base of a measuring jug and add the buttermilk to the 425ml line (the egg is part of the liquid measurement). Pour most of this milk and egg mixture into the flour.
Using one hand with the fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle drawing in the flour mixture from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, but not too wet and sticky.
The trick with soda bread is not to overmix the dough.
Mix it as quickly and gently as possible, thus keeping it light and airy. When the dough all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands. With floured fingers, roll the dough lightly for a few seconds — just enough to tidy it up.
Then pat the dough into a round, about 6cm deep. Transfer to a baking tray dusted lightly with flour. Use a sharp knife to cut a deep cross on it, letting the cuts go over the sides of the bread. Prick with the knife at the four triangles. Put into the oven and immediately reduce the
temperature to 200ËšC/gas mark 6. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes. If you are in doubt about the bread being cooked, tap the bottom: If it is cooked it will sound hollow. This bread is cooked at a lower temperature than soda bread because the egg browns faster at a higher heat. Serve freshly baked, cut into thick slices and smeared with butter and jam.
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