Hilltop Recipe, French Toast with Orange & Medjool Dates, Macadamia Ice-cream, Palm Sugar Caramel

INGREDIENTS

4 slices of day old sourdough bread
4 tblsp unsalted butter
6 eggs
2 cups milk
4 tblsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
Pinch salt
Zest of 2 lemons
2 Oranges
100 grams medjool dates
8 mint leaves chopped
150mls palm sugar caramel
4 scoops of macadamia ice-cream
100gms chopped roasted macadamias
Icing sugar to dust

METHOD

1. Whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and zest together.
2. Place bread in a shallow dish and pour egg mixture over the bread. Allow to soak for half an hour before frying.
3. Melt 1 tblsp of butter in a medium frypan, take out 1 slice of soaked sourdough and place in fry pan. Gently fry over a medium heat until golden brown on one side, fry the other side, then place in a moderate oven for 4 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, dust with icing sugar and flip the bread again, place back on the stove top over a high heat and caramelise the sugar.
5. Remove from pan and place in a warm oven until serving. Repeat with the other three slices of bread.
6. Segment oranges and place in a bowl. Cut dates in half and remove the seed, slice thinly and add to oranges.
7. Add 50mls of the caramel to fruit along with the chopped mint and set aside until plating.

PALM SUGAR CARAMEL

250grams Dark Palm sugar
100mls water
1 cardamom pod crushed
½ lime juiced

METHOD

Put palm sugar, water and cardamom in a saucepan and place on stove over medium to high heat. Dissolve the sugar and let simmer for 2 minutes. Check consistency and add a squeeze of lime juice. Store in the fridge and use as required.

For an interview with the Chefs behind this recipe head to this article.