When famed chocolatier William Curley came to visit our Bristol restaurant Poco, we prepared a chocolate feast that featured a pain perdu made from stale bread and served with lashings of chocolate sauce. At Poco, we serve wholemeal sourdough, and its malty flavour pairs surprisingly nicely with chocolate. I've boosted the chocolate custard's flavour with a teaspoon of spent coffee grounds, which are a surprisingly useful byproduct full of aroma, flavor, and caffeine that I like to sneak into recipes whenever possible.
Wholemeal bread is a taste worth acquiring in a nation where bread is provided with nearly every grain, not least because it is satisfying, flavorful, and packed with nutrients. This meal is excellent with day-old or even stale bread, but it may be made with any variety of bread, including simple white, rye, and even sourdough. 6 servings: 100ml whole milk, 160ml double cream, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, or unrefined sugar, 1 tablespoon spent coffee grounds, 100g dark chocolate, 2 softly beaten eggs, 25ml rum, brandy, or whiskey, 6 thick slices wholemeal sourdough, 1 tablespoon butter
Pour half the cream and the milk into a small saucepan, whisk in the maple syrup, honey or unrefined sugar, and coffee grounds, bring to a medium boil, and remove from the heat. Chop 80g of the chocolate and place it in a dish. Pour the hot cream mixture over the top and let aside for a few minutes. Stir carefully until the chocolate melts and the cream is blended, then add the beaten eggs and the rum, brandy, or whiskey.
Arrange the bread slices on a tray, pour the chocolate mixture over the top, and let aside for a few minutes to soak in; you may have more custard than you need, so store the remainder for serving. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of butter, then gently cook the wet bread in batches for three minutes on each side, or until they start to create a crust. To thicken, whip the remaining 80ml double cream, and gently reheat any residual chocolate custard. Serve one slice of pain perdu per person, with additional cream and chocolate custard on the side and part of the remaining 20g chocolate shaved or grated on top.
