Berry Mimosa French Toast from La Bastide Bed & Breakfast

At La Bastide Bed and Breakfast, the first meal of the day is always made to order and worth getting out of bed for. This French toast recipe, topped with a sparkling wine reduction, orange curd, and local berries, is a clever and delicious way to put leftover wine to good use. Or a perfect excuse to open a new bottle and enjoy a mimosa alongside.

Serves 4

Step 1: Make the Orange Curd

INGREDIENTS

• ½ Cup Orange Juice
• Zest from 1 Orange
• ½ Cup Sugar
• 3 Fresh Eggs
• 6 Tablespoons Butter, cubed

INSTRUCTIONS

• Assemble a double boiler. If you don’t have one, fill a pot halfway with water and bring it to a low boil. In a large metal bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and zest. Mix well. Add the butter and place the bowl over the pot of simmering water – this is your double boiler. 
• From this point, you will not be able to leave the curd alone. Begin cooking, whisking constantly to prevent curdling or uneven cooking. This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. You will start to see the curd thicken up. You may use a thermometer to help determine when it is done (about 170°).
• Remove the bowl from the pot and strain the curd into another clean, dry bowl that is resting over an ice bath. Store any unused curd in 4oz jars in the freezer.

Step 2: Make the Wine Reduction

• Boil equal amounts of leftover sparkling wine and sugar for about 10 minutes. Add about a tablespoon of corn syrup per cup of mimosa syrup. Stir in about a tablespoon of butter.

Step 3: Make the Egg Custard Base

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Fresh Eggs
• 2 oz Heavy Cream
• 6 oz Milk
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• Zest from 1 small Orange

INSTRUCTIONS

• Using an immersion blender, combine all these ingredients and pour into a shallow dish.

Step 4: Make the French Toast

INGREDIENTS

• 6 slices French or Italian-style bread (La Bastide makes their own, but any suitable and high-quality quality bread will work)
• Egg Custard Base
• Lemon Curd
• Assorted Fresh Berries
• Toasted Almonds (optional)
• Powdered Sugar (optional)
• Butter for your cooking pan

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat a griddle (or equivalent stove-top pan) to about 375°.

• Slice the bread and cut each slice in half diagonally. One serving is 1½ slices of bread. Soak the bread in the custard for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Flip over every 5-10 minutes.
• Once ready to cook, brush the hot griddle with butter and cook the French toast until golden brown on both sides. Butter the griddle again when you flip the bread the first time.
• To serve, stack three slices of French Toast on the plate. Drizzle with warmed Wine Reduction, letting it soak into the bread rather than pool on the plate. Drizzle with orange curd. Top with berries and almonds and/or powdered sugar, should you choose to add them.

WINE PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS

General Wine Characteristics: Since sparkling wine is already featured in this recipe, it’s the perfect pairing for this dish, enjoyed as-is or transformed into a mimosa with equal parts fresh-squeezed orange juice and sparkling wine. 

Mark Moisan, co-owner of La Bastide, recommends the following two options from Winderlea and Winter’s Hill as both exhibit what he looks for in local wine. They honor the fruit that made them, showcasing the local terroir with some pleasant complexity, and both have a perceptible nutty profile. He also appreciates that the Oregon families behind these labels manage their vineyards and businesses with tremendous respect for the land, and with a vigilant focus on sustainability.

• Winter’s Hill Estate 2021 Sparkling Wine – A traditional sparkling wine created from a blend of Pinot noir and Pinot blanc.  Gentle pressing and barrel fermentation create a delicious base for our wine.  Secondary fermentation in the bottle creates both the bubbles and the complex flavor and character of fine sparkling wine. Finally, extended aging in the bottle allows the wine to interact with the fermentation lees to create fine, delicate bubbles that linger in your glass and explode on your palate.
• Winderlea Vineyard & Winery 2021 Vintage Sparkling Brut – Offering up nuance and grace, whiffs of green apple, citrus zest and brioche greet the nose, accompanied by subtle touches of honeysuckle, crushed limestone, lemon cream, and pistachio croissant. The palate is lively with fine, delicate bubbles that dance on the tongue and leave a lasting impression.