TOAST of the TOWN

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Brunch time just got better thanks to Chris Gillard of Rondo’s croissant French toast with caramelised banana and rum raisins

This is a reassuringly grown-up sweet indulgence to round off your weekend brunch. The recipe is much more successful when using croissants that are at least a day or two old as they are much sturdier when dipping in the custard mix.

This is also a recipe where all the elements can be prepared ahead of time, making it one of the easiest brunches to look forward to with friends or family after a long week at work.

Ingredients (serves 4)

50g sugar 1 whole egg 1 egg yolk 200ml milk 50ml double cream Four good quality croissants, we use St John’s 200g white caster sugar 125ml water 50g butter 4 ripe bananas, black spots are good in this instance 200g raisins 75ml dark rum 200g ricotta Grated zest of ¼ lemon 30g icing sugar

French toast with caramelised banana and rum raisins

1. Create a custard mix by whisking the sugar into the egg and yolk, then whisking in the milk and cream.

2. Cut the croissants in half, dip the inner sides in the custard mix then turn upside down to allow the mix to soak through. Fry the croissants in a knob of butter in a pan over a medium heat. Keep an eye on them and flip them over as you go. Once they are a nice golden brown colour, lift them out on to a tray.

3. Put the caster sugar and 50ml of water in a saucepan on a medium-high heat until it turns into a golden caramel, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter with a spatula.

4. Split the bananas lengthwise, lay in a casserole tray and cover with the caramel. Bake at 180C for about 7 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, place the raisins in a small saucepan with 75ml of water and the rum. Warm for a minute or so then take off the heat and cover the pan with cling film to allow the raisins to soak and plump up. When the raisins are cooled, fold through the ricotta along with the lemon zest and icing sugar.

6. To serve, warm the croissants with the bananas in the oven for 4 or 5 minutes. Place the ricotta mix inside the croissants, place the bananas on top and a drizzle of the banana caramel.