Brunch bunch: parmesan French toast

Breakfast is often just that - a break to the fast of the night, squeezed into the gap between bathroom and hair drier before work. It's usually a monastic bowl of hearty muesli for me, or maybe some heartwarming porridge if it's chilly outside. Not something to linger over.

Brunch, however, is something else entirely. I was blown away by the droolworthy selection on offer at John Torrode's Luxe restaurant yesterday. My eggs Benedict was a plateful of brunchy joy, perfectly poached eggs under a decent blanket of smooth hollandaise. Not the indecent drenching that I would usually give myself at home, but then I didn't have to waddle out of the restaurant either, so all the better for it.

In the spirit of Luxe, I giving my brunches the attention they deserve, starting with some tweaks to an old favourite.

PARMESAN AND CHEDDAR FRENCH TOAST WITH GREEN CHILLI SALSA

Serves 2 greedy brunchers

~for the French toast

5 eggs

100ml whole milk

40g Parmesan, finely grated

30g mature cheddar, finely grated

a pinch of cayenne

a small pinch of salt

30g butter

5 slices of day-old white bread

~for the tomato salsa

4 ripe tomatoes, chopped into 5mm dice

3 spring onions, finely chopped

2 mild green chillies, finely chopped

salt and pepper

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp cider vinegar

1) Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheeses, cayenne and salt, then dip each slice of bread into the mixture, giving each one a good soaking.

2) Stir together all the salsa ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste, then warm through in a small pan.

3) To cook the French toast, melt a knob of the butter in a non-stick frying pan, then fry each slice over a medium heat until golden brown, flip and cook the other side. Serve with a dollop of the salsa.