I had a date last night at an unbelievable bar called BYOC in Mornington Crescent. My date runs his own business and was telling me how one day he will sell up to buy properties all over the world. So I asked him “You have 10 million in the bank. Where do you go?” He said San Diego. And it reminded me…Coast toast.

Here is a copycat recipe recreating the genuine best French toast in the whole world. I had it at Brockton Villa in San Diego, California, but its fame has spread far beyond the West coast after which it was named. In this moment I feel compelled to spread it further because it is just that good.

In a world where food hybrids reign supreme, Coast toast is the fairest of them all. This absolute delicacy is halfway between the fluffiest French toast of your life and the most delicate, smooth and creamy vanilla soufflé. The magic in this recipe is not only in the special ingredients, orange essence and orange juice, but also in the unique double cooking method.

As amazing as my first Coast toast was, this one is better. This is largely because when I first sat down to eat it on the balcony of the stunning Brockton Villa, the smell emanating from the very significant sea lion population just in front of us, was somewhat overwhelming. We moved inside, which produced a limited improvement, however the faint aroma of our aquatic friends remained with us throughout the meal. Here, I have taken the Brockton recipe and kicked it up a notch with real vanilla bean, orange blossom, orange zest and a very generous sprinkle of vanilla sugar. I recommend you make this recipe as soon as possible for the ultimate indulgent brunch or even dessert…and enjoy its fragrant citrus and vanilla notes as sea lion-free as possible.

Serving:

This toast is so creamy and dreamy and delicately flavoured with orange and blossom, that it is delicious on its own. I did however also make a simple orange salad, and whipped the leftover cream with some good quality vanilla paste and a little sugar. Serve with a small jug of maple syrup, and sprinkle the toast with vanilla sugar. Together with the orange and cream it really is perfect. It is also so unbelievably good cold the next day or as a sneaky midnight feast!

Difficulty:

I don’t think it gets easier than French toast. When I was a wee babe my dad would make ‘eggy bread’ for my big sister and me on Sunday nights quite frequently, and, in the most part without major incident. Although a few VIP ingredients make an appearance in this recipe it is still as foolproof as ever and requires no more culinary expertise than that of cave dwelling primitive man. I promise the flavours really do all of the work on this one.

Ingredients:

For the toast:

1. One wide loaf of soft French bread (sliced)

2. 475 mls of whipping cream

3. 5 eggs

4. 90 mls freshly squeezed orange juice

5. 35g of castor sugar

6. A pinch of salt

7. 1 vanilla bean

8. 1 teaspoon orange flavouring

9. 1 teaspoon orange blossom flavouring

10. Zest of half a large orange or to taste

For the orange salad:

1. 1 large orange peeled and sliced

For the vanilla cream:

1.150 mls cream

2.1/2 teaspoon of good vanilla paste

3.1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions:

1 Beat the eggs then combine with the juice, cream and sugar

2 Scrape the seeds out of a vanilla pod and add to the bowl

3 Add the orange essence and the orange blossom essence

4 Zest half an orange (or a whole one) and add to the bowl

5 Add a pinch of salt and stir gently to combine

6 Cut some French bread into hearty diagonal slices and lay in a large dish

7 Pour mixture over bread slices.

8 Cover and refrigerate at least 90 mins, turning bread over half way through.

9 Remove the bread from the dish with a slotted implement

10 Add a generous knob of butter to a griddle pan or frying pan

11 Fry bread until golden brown and then bake at 180 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until bread has risen up like a soufflé.

12 Dust with vanilla sugar and serve immediately with fruit, maple syrup and cream.