Bastille Day is just around the corner which means pulling out some French classics like Duck Cassoulet, French onion soup, Boeuf Bourguignon. I’ve included a link below to my ooh la la! French inspired trio pack, a wonderful way to celebrate along with a recipe for French toast with mushroom and cheese - it’s a little bit naughty and works any time of the day. We have some fabulous family run mushroom growers here in SA that have a wide variety available year round - Lions Mane a personal favourite for cooking. A good place to source these are at your local farmers markets or search online to support the growers closest to you.
https://charlishandco.com.au/products/ooh-la-la
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Bec, Duane, Cooper and Ally x
French Toast with Mushroom Ragout and Comte
Feeds 6-8 approx
Ragout
120g butter
2 shallots finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1kg mixed mushroom sliced (more varieties the better!)
1 lemon zested and juiced
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon rough chopped parsley
OPTIONAL: ¼ cup double cream
80g Comte cheese to serve (or similar hard cheese)
Heat a frying pan on medium and add butter. When sizzling add shallots, cook 2 minutes. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until most of their juice has evaporated. Add lemon juice and cook 1 minute. Season to taste and add parsley just before serving.
Optional: when about to serve, stir through ¼ cup double cream
French toast
1 large stale baguette slice into 2cm thick pieces
4 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup cream
Small amount of lemon zest
Pinch sea salt
Pinch ground nutmeg
Butter for frying
Whisk everything but the baguette together well. Dip each piece of baguette into egg mix, letting it soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute before removing (it needs to be absorbed ½ way into the bread minimum or it will be dry when cooked).
Heat a frying pan on medium. Add a small amount of butter to frying pan and when sizzling, add a few pieces of soaked baguette. Cook each side till light brown, adding more butter when necessary. Set aside on a baking tray for serving.
To serve:
Tray of cooked French toast
Ragout (with parsley and optional double cream if using)
Comte
Heat oven to 150C
When ready to serve, put French toast in oven to warm. Whilst toast is warming, re-heat mushroom ragout on low. When warm, stir through parsley and optional cream if using. Place French toast on a platter or plates, top with mushrooms and grate over comte cheese (use a peeler if you don’t have a fine sharp grater). Serve immediately
Variations:
Add Bacon to your ragout
Plant based milk and cream, exchange the butter for ½ the amount of vegetable oil
Top toast with your favourite jam, cinnamon sugar, sugar and lemon, chocolate spread
Make mini toasts as a canape assemble and reheat to serve
Ragout works well through pasta or in savoury tart shells
Add Szechwan pepper and a splash of soy for an Asian influence