Spring brings with it wider variety of fresh produce available at our local supermarkets and grocers, and the warmer days make us reach for more light, healthy food. We do, however, live in Scotland, where we have been experiencing a cold snap recently (and even some snow this weekend!), so we have chosen a more filling, comforting recipe to share this week. The Scottish Brunch Bible by Ghillie Basan includes a wide range of recipes using Scottish ingredients or techniques, but also taking inspiration from other world cuisines. See the below recipe for Cheesy French toast with garlicky rosemary mushrooms.

Cheesy French toast with garlicky rosemary mushrooms

French toast, or ‘eggy bread’ as some people refer to it, is a useful brunch base for a variety of roasted or fried ingredients, such as mixed mushrooms – cultivated or wild. For the cheese, choose a semi-hard one that melts easily such as the Highland Fat Cow, Applewood Smoked, Emmental or Gruyère, or opt for slices of Brie or a soft blue cheese.

Serves 2
For the French toast:
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 slices of white or brown bread
A generous knob of butter
½ tablespoon of sunflower or rapeseed oil
2 tablespoons grated cheese
For the mushrooms:
1–2 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
1–2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
A few fresh sage leaves
250g (9oz) chestnut mushrooms, mixed mushrooms, or wild
mushrooms, sliced if large, but kept whole if small
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl with the milk. Season with the salt and pepper and place the slices of bread in the mixture. Leave to soak.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and toss in the garlic. Just as it begins to colour, add the rosemary and sage leaves and toss in the mushrooms. Fry over a high heat until lightly browned and the pan is almost dry. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the knob of butter with oil in a separate pan until it begins to foam. Add the slices of soaked bread to the pan, pour over any of the egg mixture left in the bowl, and fry for 2–3 minutes until golden brown. Flip over the bread slices and scatter the
cheese over the cooked side. Cover with a lid, or a sheet of aluminium foil, and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the base of the bread is golden brown and the cheese on top has melted a little.

Lift the cheesy French toasts out of the pan onto plates and spoon the mushrooms on top.