16 December 2011

Three Star Michelin Le Pain Perdu with Cranberry Maple Syrup

Le Pain Perdu with Cranberry Maple Syrup

One of our simple pleasures in life is navigating the blogging community and participating where we can. Our group has now passed the halfway point on the list of Gourmet Live's 50 Women Game Changers. The past six months have flown by as we experiment with dishes from each of the 50 influential women on "the list." Whether you agree or disagree with the authors chosen fifty and their order it has been an enjoyable and creative outlet to cook from the masters and those we admire. There have even a few bloggers on the list. We have checked out books from the library, borrowed cookbooks from friends, surfed the Internet and browsed our own cookbook collections seeking that one recipe that will highlight that weeks outstanding woman. This group is spearheaded by my favourite well-travelled blogger Mary of One Perfect Bite who back in June invited bloggers to travel along on a culinary journey throughout the year. It is still not too late to join in in 2012, so if you would like to learn new techniques and be creative in the kitchen please contact Mary.



Anne-Sophie Pic is number 28 on "the list" and the last woman to be featured in 2011. Our group is taking a little break to be with our families and celebrate the holidays. True to form Anne-Sophie grew up around the family restaurant. Her bedroom was above the kitchen. Both her grandfather, famous for his crayfish gratin, and her father had three Michelin stars in their time. As with many of us in her teens she rebelled against the family business by shunning cuisine to study management overseas. At 23, she accepted her calling, resolving to train under her father who died shortly after her decision. Five years later, the self-taught chef took over the restaurant, shaking up the staff and the menu to reflect her devotion to plain, natural ingredients. Although she came late to haute cuisine, the chef, who prefers to mix textures and flavours rather than radically alter ingredients, continues on her gastronomic dynasty.

 "My cuisine, I would say, is simple and sophisticated. I attach supreme importance to getting the flavours just right," Anne-Sophie Pic.
Anne-Sophie Pic is a petite, softly spoken and revered chef who has headed the kitchen at La Maison Pic in the south-eastern French town of Valence for more than a decade. The French Michelin guide, the influential "little red book" of gastronomy, awarded its top three-star accolade to the first female chef in more than 50 years. Ms. Pic is only the fourth woman to win the top award. A specialist in fish, her signature dishes include sea bass caught in coastal waters and steamed over wakame kelp, served with gillardeau oyster bonbons, cucumber chutney and vodka and lemon butter sauce.

What have we been up to for our 28th Game Changer......

Val of More Than Burnt Toast - Le Pain Perdu with Cranberry Maple Syrup
Susan of The Spice Garden 
Taryn of Have Kitchen, Will Feed  Grapefruit Confit.
Heather of Girlichef  - Le Pain Perdu
Miranda of Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette at Jeanette's Healthy Living  - Chocolate Mousse with Pomegranate Gelee
Kathleen Van Bruinisse at Bake Away with Me - Gingerbread
Barbara of Moveable Feasts - Creamy Carambar
Martha of Lines from Linderhof
Nancy of Picadillo - Veal Piccata with Pecans, Spring Vegetables and Ham.
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits - Ann-Sophie Pic
Veronica of My Catholic Kitchen
Claudia of Journey of an Italian Cook Tomato Chutney

The holiday season has arrived here at More Than Burnt Toast. There is a nip in the air and we have to recharge our batteries for all the impending hustle and bustle. It is the season of excess where the old adage "Waste not want not" can still hold true. You can turn your stale bread into a kitchen masterpiece. Beyond croutons and crumbs, many cultures have a revered dish made from stale bread, from soup to salad to pudding. Yesterday's baguette or pita isn't just for the birds! In Middle Eastern countries they have Fattoush, in Italy Panzanella, in Greece Dakos, in India Papri Chat, the British have Bread Pudding and the French...Pain Perdu. Yes, this is French toast, but a superior one. Unlike normal French toast this batter cooks into a custardy, crispy coating that leaves the bread creamy and....oh so good!!!

"Pain Perdu" means "lost bread," and this recipe is a scrumptious solution for what to do with those stale loaves of bread that were about to be "lost." Brioche bread is the perfect choice but you can use any bread of your choice to make this in your own kitchen. Ms. Pic serves this classic up with a homemade jam but I gave it a Canadian holiday twist with a delicious mixture of maple syrup and any leftover cranberry sauce you may have lying around.

 **Le Pain Perdu**
Coupez 8 morceaux de pain en tranches épaisses. Dans un saladier, mélangez 4 œufs et 20g de sucre au fouet, puis ajoutez 10cl de lait et 1 gousse de vanille. Faites tremper quelques minutes les morceaux de pain dans le mélange. Egouttez rapidement puis cuire dans une poêle chaude avec un peu de beurre jusqu’à coloration. Retournez les tranches une ou deux fois, avant de les servir chaudes à l’assiette, accompagnées d’une confiture de fruits de saison.

**Cut 8 pieces of bread into thick slices. In a bowl, mix 4 eggs 20g sugar and whisk, then add 10cl of milk and a vanilla bean. Soak a few minutes the pieces of bread in the mixture. Drain and cook quickly in a hot pan with a little butter until browned. Turn the slices once or twice, before serving hot plate.
**Cranberry Maple Syrup**

Syrup
  • 2 cups pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup cranberry sauce
1. Heat maple syrup until warm; add the cranberry sauce and mix together, serve warm.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison. Best Blogger Tips

29 comments:

  1. Le Pain Perdu is such a lovely French recipe and a wonderful tribute to Anne-Sophie. And you know how I love cranberries, so the syrup is perfect and so very pretty too.
    Sam

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, I love your addition of cranberry! And how cool, I guess I never realized what Pain Perdu meant...love it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Really, Val, can anything be better? Love Pain Perdu and the cranberry syrup would be perfect poured all over it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A fabulous recipe. That French toast must taste heavenly.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  5. You've given us another lovely recipe, Val. Actually, two recipes. The syrup sounds wonderful and it is a perfect topper for the the pain perdu. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  6. The vanilla bean and cranberry sauce must make this Pain Perdu extra special. Lovely choice!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really enjoyed the family theme of this post!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Val,
    What an amazing photo! It's beautiful. One aspect that makes it different is your choice of bread. The thick bread gives texture and volume compared to sliced bread. Also, your write-up of Anne-Sophie is so concise and informative.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful French Toast, and the cranberry maple syrup sounds delish.

    ReplyDelete
  10. that bread doesn't look so lost.
    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Val, Your posts are always so 'complete' ... the text is well-thought through, your photos are so beautiful, and the food choices are exquisite! Well done!

    This pain perdu is just wonderful and the cranberry maple touch is perfect!

    As usual, I am late posting, but I as with many of these 50 Women posts, I have tried something new and left the experience thinking through my technique and planning for 'next time' ...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful write-up and you showcased her food perfectly. Am entranced by the cranberry syrup - seasonal, pretty and delectable.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Val,
    Would you please explain what 10cl milk is in teaspoons or tablespoons?
    I'm not familiar with 'cl' and can't find it on the conversion chart.
    The recipe looks so delicious and the cranberries are a nice touch this time of year. In the summer months, I warm fresh peach slices in the Maple Syrup to top french toast.
    Thanks so much for sharing! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  14. I remember sometime in my teens I declared I hated french toast because I had only ever had slices of dull white bread in a dried-out crust of eggs. It wasn't until years later when I discovered soaking better bread in a better batter gave the dreamiest breakfast ever.

    I'm surprised this one is fried the entire time and not baked as many upscale pain perdu recipes often are. I love the use of the vanilla bean in the batter and you are very clever to use cranberries!

    ReplyDelete
  15. The cranberry-maple syrup sounds so delicious on this lovely pain perdu! Perfect for a holiday breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Barbara. I'm afraid I don't know what the "cl" means either. The recipe was in French and I translated it as best I could. I used 1-1/2 cups milk gaging on my past experience with pain perdu.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Now that looks like a real treat Val.

    If I don't speak to before then, have a great Christmas. Thanks for sending me you family card, but I can't open it at work, so I will check it later. xx

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Val,
    I researched via Google, and found the answer to my question about '10cl' ... 10cl = 100ml
    Regards, Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks Barbara, who knew there was another measurement we had never come across before.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wow such a simple recipe and I know it's packed with flavor. Ooh I can't wait to try this. I have some homemade cranberry sauce in my refrigerator that I'm going to try with maple syrup.

    I bet this would taste great baked over chicken or salmon!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Between you and heather, I'm really craving breakfast for dinner now!

    ReplyDelete
  22. wow - this looks like a great Christmas breakfast idea! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Sounds delicious! I haven't had French toast in a while and this version seems to be much better than regular french toast!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Lovely and I love the addition of cranberries!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Looks delicious. I should mix in more fruits into syrup, to mix it up a bit. I actually didn't know that french toast was called pain perdu -- I guess it makes sense since you're supposed to use old bread.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Great pic with that splash of syrup! It's really fun to infuse different flavors into syrups. People really love how how many ways you can change them around.

    ReplyDelete
  27. this is lovely for many reasons, but i'm most excited about the simple combination of maple syrup and cranberry sauce--what a great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I think cl means coffee spoon - I have a French friend that told me that... it is small.
    Love how you write these posts, Val. So informative: a really great read and lovely recipe.
    :)
    V

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

This blog uses comment moderation therefore SPAMMERS, SELF-PROMOTERS and ADVERTISERS will be deleted.