What’s cooking today: French toast with blueberry coulis and bacon

French toast, like life, can be sweet or savoury, and in this breakfast dish your palate will be pleased by both. Bacon and maple syrup are a natural fit, so there’s no reason why a few rashers of bacon should not accompany French toast made with cinnamon and served with blueberry coulis and a blob of crème fraîche.

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

4 extra large eggs

6 rashers of streaky bacon

⅔ cup milk

1 tsp ground cinnamon

6 slices of slightly stale ciabatta cut on the diagonal

Butter, as needed

Maple syrup, about 3 Tbsp per serving

Freshly grated zest of 1 orange

Salt and black pepper

Crème fraîche for serving

For the coulis:

1 cup frozen (or fresh if in season) blueberries

2 Tbsp sugar

The juice from the same orange as above

Method

Simmer the blueberries with the sugar and orange juice until it becomes a sticky sauce. Set aside. Fry the bacon and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cinnamon, zest and milk.

Slice the ciabatta at a slight angle, i.e. on the diagonal, to make bigger slices.

Melt butter on a moderate heat. Dip slices of bread in the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, and fry in butter, turning. Season each side with salt and black pepper while cooking. Transfer to warmed plates. Drape bacon over the French toast.

Drizzle maple syrup over on the plate, spoon some blueberry coulis along one side (i.e. nap with the coulis) and finish with a blob of crème fraîche. Garnish with a sliver of orange peel for a bit of caché. DM

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.