Chef Jeff Kraus – Pain Perdu

Ingredients:

• 4-8 bread rolls
• 4 eggs
• 1 pint Sweet Condensed Milk
• 1 pint Evaporated Milk
• 4 medium Bananas
• 2 Oranges
• 1 Lemon
• 2-3 small Limes
• Granulated Sugar
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Ground Cinnamon
• Vanilla Paste/Extract
• Mint Leaves (optional garnish)

 

Directions:

(Note: most of these components can be created separately, in advance.)

 

1. Cut buns open and toast buns in a hot pan (medium heat).
2. Create the crème anglaise in a separate bowl. Add 4 eggs and ¼ cup of sugar. Whisk thoroughly.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the crème anglaise bowl. Also add zest from 1 orange, zest from half a lemon, and zest from 2-3 limes.
4. Then add a pint of sweet condensed milk and half a pint of evaporated milk to the mix. Whisk everything together. Add a glug of vanilla paste/vanilla extract.
5. Whisk the crème anglaise till the texture is a little thicker than heavy cream.
6. When bread is toasted, take off the stove top.
7. In a separate pan, turn up to medium-high and add a knob of butter. Let the butter melt down.
8. Soak the toasted bread in the crème anglaise mix, and then add the soaked bread to the hot pan. Make sure you hear a sizzle; if you don’t, turn the heat up.
9. Toast the open-faced bread rolls on both sides. Make sure not to burn them. Cook till they’re golden brown on both sides.
10. In a separate bowl, add orange segments from two oranges. Add any left over lime/lemon zest, and add juice from half a lemon and half a lime to the same bowl.
11. In a separate pan, start your caramel. On medium-low heat, add butter and about ½ – 1 cup of sugar. Add some of the citrus juice from the bowl to get the caramel started quicker. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
12. Once the caramel is golden brown, add ½ a pint of evaporated milk. Bring to a boil to thicken it. Once at a boil, stir, and then bring down to a simmer. Once caramel achieves a thick consistency, take off heat and set aside.
13. Slice 4 bananas. Add to the citrus bowl.
14. In a separate hot pan, add a knob of butter. Once butter is melted, add the bananas and citrus mix to the high-heat pan. Add a little bit of vanilla paste/extract. Toss and cook for about 30 seconds, and then take off the heat.
15. Plate the dish – add the toasted buns as the base, add the banana-citrus mix over the bread, and finally, drizzle the caramel over the dish.
16. Garnish with lime zest and mint.