French Toast with Miso Sugar and Umeboshi Plum Compote ...

... and why you should add Miso Sugar to your store cupboard ingredients

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Last week’s warmer temperatures and sunshine has led me to believe that Spring did not skip Brussels this year and may be on its way after all. And somehow that has me thinking about long and lazy Sunday brunches. And that in turn has me thinking about French Toast (yes, French Toast is actually a great thing to make for a brunch - simply fry off the French Toast in batches and keep warm in a low oven).

French Toast really is my breakfast of dreams. So easy to make and yet a dish I often forget about - despite how much I love it. But I happily return to it whenever I have leftover Brioche, Pain de Mie or similar bread that is starting to go stale. (And yes, you can also make French Toast using your favourite loaf of Sourdough bread but it will likely need to soak a little longer to soften the crust sufficiently. I also think it’s heartier flavour lends itself better to savoury French Toast, say with some smoked salmon and some horseradish-y coleslaw maybe.) So this week I wanted to share a recipe for my French Toast with Miso Sugar and Umeboshi Plums.

My recipe for French Toast itself is simple - I know some folks like to make their French Toast with actual custard or at least with cream, but I am more than happy with a simple eggy milk, more often than not eyeballing the quantities. For me, French Toast (like pancakes) is all about the toppings. And today’s are really quite special (but simple and quick to prepare): Miso Sugar and Umeboshi Plum Compote.

What you end up with are thick slices of Pain de Mie, soaked in a simple eggy milk before being panfried until golden in generous amounts of butter. And here comes the trick: each slice of French Toast is then dusted with Miso sugar for that sweet-salty-yet-funky flavour that I so adore. To serve, there is a a simple plum compote. After a gentle simmer with some sugar the plums’ skins start to bleed their gorgeous dark purple colour, staining each plum segment and their juices a deep crimson. And for something a little different, two finely minced (rinsed first!) Umeboshi plums are stirred into the plum compote, cutting through its sweetness and adding a layer of funky complexity.

What are Umeboshi plums: While commonly referred to as plums, botanically speaking the Ume plums used to make Umeboshi plums are actually more closely related to apricots. What turns an Ume plum into an Umeboshi plum? Once they start to ripen in early summer they are pickled in lots of salt (20pc by weight). The salt extracts the plums natural juices (hence their shrivelled appearance) and helps preserve the plums. The juices themselves are sometimes sold as a sort of Ume vinegar (even if it is not technically a vinegar).

What do they taste like? Very salty, a bit tart and somehow quite funky. Like preserved lemons, Umeboshi plums are probably an acquired taste but one you will hopefully come to adore!

How can I use them? In Japan, Umeboshi plums are often served (in small quantities) with rice dishes and are also often added to Onigiri (Japanese rice balls). They are also famously both a hangover cure and, together with Okayu (a Japanese rice porridge), a cure for the common cold.

And if you think that adding salty and funky Umeboshi plums or paste to dessert is weird, please just try it. It had been on my mind for ages and I kept on hesitating. What finally convinced me to just give it a try was an umeboshi ice cream I tried at Dolcezza when I was in DC a while back to see my friend Laura. And what can I say? I LOVED it. It was plummy, ever so slightly savoury and a bit funky. If you like Miso and Preserved Lemons in desserts, I reckon you would love Umeboshi in desserts too. Plus, if you are anything like me, I am sure that there is a pack of Umeboshi plums lurking at the back of your fridge, purchased on a whim on your last trip to the Japanese supermarket and quite possibly never opened. Well, now is the time! Just a word of the wise, do rinse your Umeboshi plums well before adding them to a recipe – they are extremely salty!

Now, for the Miso sugar, I picked up this idea from Bon Appetit a few years back and haven’t looked back. It is stupidly easy to make and such a delicious thing. You can use the Miso Sugar to scatter over French Toast, roll some doughnuts in right after frying or add some sweet and salty crunch wherever you fancy it, for example to top some ice cream or brulée some baked custard.

French Toast with Miso Sugar and Umeboshi Plum Compote

Note: A little out of the ordinary, this French toast recipe is really fun and plays up the slightly funky and savoury notes of both Miso and Umeboshi plums. The Miso sugar is a great addition to your store cupboard and can be sprinkled over anything you would normally sprinkle plain sugar, vanilla sugar or maybe cinnamon sugar over. 

Serves 4

For the Miso sugar
150g sugar
2 tsp white (shiro) Miso paste

For the French toast
1 Pain de Mie or brioche, ends cut off and cut into 8 thick slices
4 eggs
300ml milk
Butter to fry the French toast in

For the Umeboshi plum compote
4 plums
2 Umeboshi plums, rinsed, pit removed and finely minced (alternatively 1-2 tsp Umeboshi paste)
2 tbsp sugar

Directions

Start by making the Miso sugar. Ideally makes this a day or two before you want to make the French toast so the sugar has time to dry out. In a food processor, pulse the sugar with the Miso until well combined and the sugar is an even light brown colour. Spread out on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and set aside to dry. Once dry, and if the sugar seems a bit clumped up, just pulse the sugar a few times in a food processor. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Next, whisk together the eggs with the milk in a bowl. Place the Pain de Mie slices in a deep casserole and pour over the eggy milk. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the eggy milk.

Now make the Umeboshi plum compote. Cut the plums in half, remove the pit and cut each half into quarters. Add the quartered plums to a medium saucepan together with the minced Umeboshi plums (or Umeboshi paste if using) and the sugar. Add enough water to just cover the plums. Simmer the plums until soft enough to easily be cut in half with a spoon but firm enough to still hold their shape (this will take ca. 10-15 minutes). Taste and add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter.

While the Umeboshi plum compote is simmering, melt some butter in a large frying pan and fry the soaked bread slices in batches of 2, turning them every 2 minutes or so to ensure even browning. Place the finished slices on a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm (or keep them warm. ina low oven).

To serve, for each person place two slices of French toast on a large plate, scatter each slice generously with the miso sugar and add 3-4 spoons of the umeboshi plum compote and some of the juices to each plate.