Caramelised Brioche Pain Perdu
A bistro dessert: 3 cm slices of brioche soaked to the core in a cream custard, caramelised to a glassy amber crust in butter and sugar, then finished in the oven.
Method
Cut the brioche into 3 cm slices. Day-old brioche is best; if it is fresh, leave the slices on a rack for 1–2 hours, or dry them in a 120°C oven for 10 minutes, turning once. Start preheating the oven now.
Add in this stepDay-old brioche, sliced 3 cm thick 2
Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt well, then whisk in the milk and cream. Strain through a sieve into a shallow dish so the custard is perfectly smooth.
Add in this stepEggs 2Sugar (for the custard) 1½ tbspVanilla extract ½ tspSalt 1 pinchMilk 100 mlHeavy cream 100 ml
Soak the slices in the custard for in total, turning halfway: they should feel heavy and soaked to the core but still hold their shape. Lift onto a rack set over a tray and let them drip for 1 minute.
Melt the butter in a 24 cm frying pan over medium heat until foaming. Sprinkle the top of each slice with half the caramel sugar and lay it sugar side down, then sprinkle the rest over the upper side. Cook for in total, flipping once, until both faces are covered in a glassy amber caramel. Caramel is far hotter than boiling water: always flip with a spatula, never touch it, and don't taste from the pan.
Add in this stepButter 20 gSugar (for the caramel) 2 tbsp
medium heatMove the slices to a tray lined with baking paper and finish in the oven at 180°C for , until puffed and the centre springs back when pressed; a knife pushed into the middle should come out without runny custard.
ovenServe straight away with a spoonful of crème fraîche and the berries, and scatter a few flakes of salt over the caramel to balance the sweetness.
Add in this stepCrème fraîche (or sour cream) 2 tbspBerries (raspberries, blueberries…) 100 gFlaky salt 1 pinch
Cook's tip
Straining the custard alone stops streaks of egg white from cooking on the surface and makes the finish look far more polished. If the bread scorches before the sugar turns amber, the heat is too high; drop it a notch. A scoop of vanilla ice cream turns it into a restaurant dessert.
Cooking it at camp
Strain the custard at home and carry it in a bottle in the cooler. At camp, caramelise in a cast-iron pan, then cover with a lid and leave on the lowest flame for 4–5 more minutes to set the centre instead of using an oven. Caramel burns quickly, so watch the heat closely.