Jasmyne Tea

Angelo's On The Bay, Cabarita - Take 2

There is NOTHING I hate more than a stranger who spoils my time out.

There we were, celebrating our friend Joon's acceptance into Bond University on the Gold Coast at Angelo's on the Bay, minding our own business (and we're not a particularly rowdy bunch, so it's not like we were screaming or anything); the table next to us was conducting a wedding reception, and they decided to have a speech. Glassed were tapped with silverware, and the mother of the bride stood up - and, doing the respectful thing, we quietened down a little.

BUT, apparently that wasn't enough for some shrew sitting at that table - she actually turned around and shushed us repeatedly as if we were small children, instead of doing the adult thing and politely asking us to be quiet for a moment. Stephen and Joon, being the classic passive aggressives, started talking louder. Said shrew literally turned around in her chair, gave us the evil eye for 30 seconds, then shushed us again with her finger literally in front of her mouth.

I may or may not have sworn at her.

Irritating episode aside, we chose Angelo's at the Bay because we've always had good experiences there. The food's wonderful, the service is top notch, and the atmosphere is normally pleasantly ambient.

Bread Rolls

We started with some rolls as we were waiting for everyone to find parking, then ordered drinks for the table.

Banana Colada - $18.50

This was mine: Malibu, fresh banana, banana liqueur, coconut cream and pineapple juice were all combined to creat the Banana Colada. It was a little strong with the banana liqueur, which masked a lot of the other flavours, but still enjoyable.

Roasted Sea Scallops on the Shell - $22.00

6 perfectly roasted scallops graced the plate, cooked so that the flesh was still delicate and basted in a hazelnut and chervil butter.

Caramelised Eschallot & Brie Tarte Tatin - $21.00

The tarte tatin was a beautiful starter, the eschallot caramelised until soft and tender, with the brie underneath supporting it's sweetened yet tangy flavour. It was served with a velvety cauliflower veloute, and asparagus and micro herbs tossed in a fresh salsa verde.

'On The Bay' Seafood Platter for Two - $140.00

We tried this platter last time, and the quality seems to be pretty consistent. The top plate was where the cold seafood resided, consisting of oysters, king prawns, lobsters, raw salmon, and a seafood salad served inside avacado halves.

The lower plate included battered and fried calamari and fish, roasted scallops and chips, which came with tartar and cocktail sauce.

Pappadelle - $23.00

A large serving of al dente, house-made pappadelle was served with a fall-apart beef cheek ragu, with porcini mushrooms lending their nutty flavour and parsely giving some freshness. The whole delicious concoction was topped with truffle-infused pecorino, a decadent finish.

Grilled Atlantic Salmon Medallions - $33.00

The salmon was flakey and moist, the skin grilled until crispy. The medallions were served on white bean puree and a zucchini and dill salad, and drizzled with an aromatic basil emulsion. Roasted kipfler potatoes and cherry tomatoes also dotted the plate.

House-Made Pumpkin & Chestnut Ravioli - $28.00

The pasta for the ravioli was a little thick for my taste, but the mixture of pumpkin and chestnut was surprisingly well-matched, and the burnt sage butter accentuated the flavour. Topped with creamy marinated goats feta, it was a great dish.

White Chocolate & Amarena Cherry Creme Brulee - $15.00

It wasn't my dessert, but I still stole a spoon so I could crack the sugar top. It shattered perfectly! The custard was flavoured with super-sweet white chocolate, but balanced with sour amarena cherry and served with crunchy biscotti.

White Peach Pannacotta - $15.00

The pannacotta was thick and creamy, and delicately flavoured with peach and topped with rosewater pashmak. A tart strawberry consomme also graced the plate, and three small pieces of amaretto jelly finished it off. The plating was a little clumsy, but each seperate element was beautifully made.

Mini Dessert Plate - $20.00

The mini dessert plate was a tasting plate of three different desserts on the menu. The first was the very same peach pannacotta we'd just tried, but set within a chocolate cup. The middle dessert was an almond and Iranian dried-fig and cognac frangipani tart, with honey and nougat gelato, strawberry salad and vanilla-bean anglaise. I wasn't a particular fan of the dried fig, but I really liked all the other elements. The last dessert was the white chocolate and cherry brulee.

Honey Poached Figs with Mixed Berry Sorbet - Special

We were told that this dish came with honey poached fresh figs, but the honey syrup was only drizzled over the top, so the figs were inconsistently cooked. However, the flavours were good, and the berry sorbet was very well executed.

The food here is excellent, with a focus on quality and decent portions, and the service is always impeccable. We did exchange death-glares as we left, but it's not the restaurant's fault if some of their customers turn out to be unpleasant, and I'd totally come back if the opportunity presented itself.

Angelo's On The Bay

Prince Edward Park, Phillips St
Cabarita
NSW 2137

Tel: (02) 9743-2225
Fax: (02) 9736-2391

Email: [email protected]

http://www.angelosonthebay.com.au/

Antipasto Roulade

It's so exciting: Stephen's sister Melissa has gotten to the point where she's testing out recipes for her kitchen tea, and I'm going wedding dress shopping for the first time tomorrow for my own wedding. Things are moving forward! *girly squeal*

One of the recipes was straight off the top of her head, an idea she had whilst perusing the menu at her reception venue. It's quite ingenious - a roulade made up of all of our favourite elements on an antipasto platter, including prosciutto, bocconcini, sundried tomato and eggplant. It's quick, it's easy, and it's something I'll definitely be busting out when I next have a party.

Antipasto Roulade

The recipe is quite simple, and it really depends on what you like. We started off with approximately 12 pieces of prosciutto, laid out on a sheet of cling wrap in 2 groups of 6 slices, each overlapping to make a sort of large rectangle. Bocconcini cheese slices were then layered on top, then thin slices of pickled eggplant and sundried tomato. The whole thing was carefully rolled up while still managing to keep the cling wrap on the outside, then refrigerated for an hour or so to set. When ready to serve, we just carefully sliced 2 cm thick pieces with the cling wrap still on, unwrapping when each slice was cut. Served with a bit of lettuce for garnish and some balsamic vinegar, and hey presto!

You can easily use any other type of antipasto you like, such as artichoke hearts or capsicum.

La Tratt, Fairfield - A Second Serving

You can't take Stephen's dad anywhere. George is great, don't get me wrong, but he has a sense of humour that strangers don't seem to understand, and is an incorrigable flirt, especially when his wife is with him. People come away from conversations slightly confused and not quite sure if they should be offended.

When we went to La Tratt for Stephen's birthday, a certain waitress there (who I went to school with) was the unfortunate victim of George's attention. Luckily that didn't affect the quality of the food or the service (and really, I wouldn't have blamed her if it did, lol), and we had an excellent experience here, just as good as the first time.

Arrancini

We started with the arrancini, deep-fried, golden balls of arborio rice and gooey cheese. They were so flavoursome that we ordered more (George tried to score freebies by being charming at this point, but it didn't work. I wonder why).

Fig & Prosciutto Special

This was a special, but I was so glad I ordered it. Beautiful, fresh figs were wrapped in salty prosciutto and pan-fried. The sauce reminded me of hollandaise, creamy and light and perfectly seasoned. The toasted bread went well with the figs, but I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't there.

Filetto Di Manzo - $42.00

Anthony ordered the Filetto Di Manzo, a Tagima wagyu sirloin with a score of 6. The steak was tender, juicy, and barely needed the knife he was given, and the puddle of red wine butter emphasised the flavour of the meat without overpowering it. It was served on a confit garlic puree, with oyster mushrooms and a long potato croquette.

Insalata Salubre - $9.90

This salad was ordered as a side, but I could have happily ordered it as my main. Crisp cabbage, crunchy walnuts, sharp parmesan and plump raisins were all combined with a chardonnay aioli.

Spinachi E Ricotta Lasagne Funghi - $25.00

Melissa ordered the lasagne, and said it was one of the best lasagne's she's had in a restaurant. Paper thin squares of pasta were layered with spinach, ricotta and wild mushroom. It was served with a sage nut brown butter sauce and chestnuts.

Porcellino Al Forno - $79.00

Finally, the main event arrived. This beautiful mess that adorned a rustic wooden block was the suckling pig that we had come for, only available Fridays and Saturdays. Four large chunks of pork were oven roasted to perfection, with crackling I still dream of. This was served with Marchetti cotechino sausage, a sausage made mostly from the gelatinous parts of the pig. It was tender and a little spicy.

Salsa Verde, Poached Spiced Pears, Mustard Fruits

These were served with the suckling pig, although I think there was enough flavour there as it was. The salsa verde was a little thin, but still full of flavour. The poached pears and mustard fruits were interesting accompaniments, but so tasty I could have eaten them solo.

Complimentary Vegetables

Finally, we tried the complimentary veggies that were served to us. The carrot, asparagus and beans were smothered in butter, salt and pepper, which most of the table seemed to like. I prefer my vegetables with nothing on them, but to each their own.

We didn't order dessert this time as we had a cake to go home to, but we were sorely tempted after we saw what was on offer. The standout food and service is what makes us repeat customers here - that, and also how close La Tratt is from home.

La Tratt

At the Fairfield RSL
14 Anzac Pde
Fairfield
NSW 2165

Phone: 9727 5000

www.fairfieldrsl.com.au

Balla, Pyrmont

So I'm probably the last person in the world to visit The Star since its renovation; there are Eskimos who have been there before me I'd wager. But I tend to do that - if a restaurant is particularly out of my way I won't be that motivated to go unless I happen to be in the area. I guess this is a product of not being able to drive - I try to plan my trips economically.

Due to happy coincidence in which Stephen and I were scouting out places to hold our wedding ceremony, we ended up near Pyrmont, and I knew the chance had come to check out the new casino. It was as impressive as I thought it would be, all gleaming white tiles and sunlight, but as we were walking through one restaurant caught my eye - Balla.

Balla, the latest undertaking by one of Australia's leading Italian chefs Stefano Manfredi, is spacious and airy, with an open plan kitchen and wall-to-wall windows overlooking Pyrmont Bay. According to the website, Manfredi is "seeking to redefine the classic osteria Milanese, with the menu built around the heart of traditional Italian cuisine". Walking up the ramp into the restaurant, I feel like I've walked into a place you might find in the movie Nine - there are vintage spotlights in the corners, and mozaic designs on the columns around the room.

Assorted Bread - Complimentary

We were seated by a friendly, efficient hostess and served an assortment of bread. I tried a ciabatta roll with a beautifully fruity extra virgin olive oil, but there was also foccaccia and sourdough to choose from.

Crostini Con Caprino e 'nduja - $12.00

We ordered something from the antipasto menu as a starter, and were pleased with what came out. The ciabatta was nicely toasted on a grill plate and served with the creamiest goat cheese I ever had in my life. This was topped by a fiery salami mince, which is definitely not what I was expecting - I thought it would be the usual thinly sliced cured salami.

Gnocchi Di Patate Con Salsa D'anatra - $26.00

Stephen ordered a dish of firm, light potato gnocchi and a gamey duck ragu. The ragu was slow-cooked to fall-apart perfection, although Stephen wasn't used to the texture as he found it a bit more stringy than a beef ragu.

Cannelloni alle Melanzane - $23.00

The cannelloni was prettily plated in a cloud of grated parmesan. The pasta, made in house, was perfectly al dente and filled with a tasty mixture of ricotta and eggplant. It was cooked in a thick, slightly sweet tomato sauce and topped with micro herbs.

Insalata Mista - $10.00

I found all of the components of the salad to be unpleasantly bitter, which was quite unfortunate as I has been looking forward to some greens.

The service, view and atmosphere is amazing at Balla, and I was very impressed by the food. I definitely look forward to trying the rest of the menu the next time in the area. We would have tried a dessert, but we had plans to go to Adriano Zumbo so we passed.

Passionfruit, Cola, Watermelon, Milo, Salted Caramel Macarons - $2.50 each

Balla @ The Star

Level G, Harbourside,
The Star,
80 Pyrmont St
Pyrmont
NSW 2009

Phone: 1800 700 700

Edamame Sushi, Marrickville

Japanese/Italian Fusion. Not something I would have originally thought would work particularly well; The two cuisines have completely different flavours and cooking techniques, and they just don't seem to mesh.

Edamame Sushi in Marrickville proved me wrong. We first stumbled across it when looking for something to eat before seeing a show at The Factory Theatre, and were so impressed that we organised a little get together with some of our work friends. Unfortunately, some of our friends (Joon, I'm looking at you!) were over an hour late, and the kitchen was just about to stop taking orders, but our hosts were quite gracious and kept us supplied with appetisers while we waited.

Vegetable Gyoza - $6.00

These vegetable dumplings were panfried and stuffed full of root vegetable goodness.  The main flavours prevalent were ginger and garlic in the filling, and toasted black sesame was scattered over the thin, crispy pastry.

Karaage Chicken - $8.00

Also known as JFC (Japanese Fried Chicken :P), the skin and batter were beautifully crunchy, and retained a little of the oil the chicken pieces were fried in. The chicken was firm yet juicy, and redolent with the taste of ginger and soy.

Soft Shell Crab - $10.00

This was my first time trying soft shell crab, and I found it a pleasant experience; the flesh was tender and mild, the shell tempura-battered and cooked until lightly crunchy. The crab pieces were served with artful streaks of mayonnaise and cocktail sauce.

Takoyaki - $8.00

These little octopus dumplings were excellent - perfect spheres of tender octopus chunks and tenkasu, topped with salty takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and flaky shavings of dried fish.

Tempura Pumpkin Roll - $10.00

This has become my favourite sushi roll of all time. Perfectly cooked tempura pumpkin was paired with creme fraiche and punchy coriander pesto, tightly wrapped in a layer of white rice and sprinkled with black sesame. The wasabi is made fresh in house, and whilst not as strong in flavour as the packaged kind I much preferred it.

Salmon Sashimi - $12.00

The salmon sashimi was so fresh it was practically still wiggling! The fat was beautifully distributed, and it was simply served with wasabi and pickled ginger.

Teriyaki Chicken Roll - $10.00

Good-sized chunks of chicken were lightly covered in teriyaki sauce, then rolled with fresh avocado and cucumber.

Tempura Prawn Roll - $13.00

Juicy tempura prawns were combined with avocado, lettuce, prawn mayonnaise and black sesame to create a delicious sushi roll that Stephen almost refused to share. Small amounts of roe lent a little salt flavour to the sushi.

7 Day Miso-Cured Duck Breast - $27.50

This was a truly innovative dish. The duck breast had been cured for a week in miso, which drastically altered the texture and flavour: any chewiness or gaminess was eliminated, leaving a beautifully tender and succulent piece of meat, and a subtle, earthy undertone. This flavour was enhanced by the truffle-infused couscous, the fresh coriander salsa, and the sake teriyaki vinaigrette.

Supreme of Chicken - $20.00

The chicken was pan-roasted to juicy perfection, and drizzled with teriyaki jus. A carrot puree that had been infused with ginger gave freshness of flavour, and a few thin slices of radish completed the dish.

Twice Cooked Pork Belly - $27.50

The twice cooked pork belly was like a picture on a plate - it was almost too lovely to eat. I say almost, because we demolished it. The pork belly proper was a tad dry towards the top end, but otherwise was good. Three decent-sized pieces were surrounding a pork-rillette croquette, which was a tad salty and fatty (in a good way!), whole baby king brown mushrooms and poached baby apples.

Wagyu Loin - $35.50

This was our friend Joon's first time trying Wagyu, which is why he stuck his fork in as I was taking photos. As you can see, thick slices of premium grade beef swam in a puddle of teriyaki jus, along with an edamame croquette. I thought the hazelnut ponzu to be ingenious - the citrus and the hazelnut go together so well.

Coconut Brule - $12.00

The coconut brule was simple, but effective in its simplicity. After so many disappointments, it was wonderful to hear a loud 'crack' when I broke through the sugar crust. The custard was lightly flavoured with coconut, but it was enough - the dish was perfect as it was.

White Forest Panna Cotta - $15.00

I was so excited to try this. The White Forest Panna Cotta was smooth, silky and light, and topped with a tart raspberry compote. Blood orange sorbet topped this, and a generous sprinkling of pop rocks and edible flowers added a sense of fun and adventure.

Deconstructed Apple Tart - $15.00

I personally loved this dessert. Blobs of vanilla custard warred for attention with a nutty ginger crumble, tart freeze-dried apple, poached baby green apple and a truly excellent green apple sorbet.

The food at Edamame Sushi is insanely good, almost flawless. There's a sense of creativity and originality to each dish that makes them a joy to eat, and the genuine friendliness of the service makes sure that I'll definitely be back as a regular.

Edamame Sushi

Shop 5, 276-278 Marrickville Rd
Marrickville
NSW 2204

Phone: 95728160

Pasta The Way Italians Do It

When we were staying in California last year, we had the very good fortune of staying with our friend Francesco and his girlfriend, Chi Li. Francesco, of course, is from Italy, but is completing his PhD in Irvine. We met when he came Australia a couple of years ago to do some work at UWS, and have stayed in touch ever since.

While we were there, Francesco graciously taught us a few "trade secrets" as it were when it comes to Italian cooking; the one I found most intriguing was the secret ingredient that apparently many Italians include in their tomato-based pasta sauces: Milk.

I was really surprised that such a simple ingredient made this dish so much better, but it really did. When at first the spaghetti was set to boil and the pieces of Italian sausage, asparagus and dried chilli were cooked down with tomato paste, I already thought the dish was going to be delicious; but then the tomato paste was diluted with milk instead of water until a perfect consistancy was achieved, and lunch was suddenly exponentially improved. The sauce was creamy and almost cheesy, and the flavour was so addictive. A little cracked pepper and I was in heaven.

Have you heard of a strange secret ingredient?

Beeramisu for Australia Day

  

Beer: the quintessential Australian beverage. For the longest time it was seen as a "man's" drink - ads about men cracking open a cold one after a hard day's work were plentiful, and if a woman drank beer, especially from the bottle, she was seen by some as unladylike.

In these more enlightened times it's not so much of a big deal for a lady to enjoy a schooner. I myself have little interest in beer unless it's German, but I remember being amazed by the use of stout in a tiramisu on Masterchef Australia Season 1. Stephen made it for Australia Day this year, and we were blown away by the results. Crunchy amaretti biscuits were soaked in stout and coffee, then smothered in layers of  mascarpone and left to set for a couple of days. It was so hard to wait the two days (I was so curious!), but it was definitely worth it:

Please, please, PLEASE use a chocolate or coffee stout; It really does make a difference. It's not as bitter as a normal stout, and it has a beautiful little hint of sweetness to it, especially when mixed with the coffee. The almond flavour of the amaretti biscuits also lends itself to the mixture, and the creamy mascarpone gives a smooth texture that contrasts with the slight crunch of the biscuits.

Beeramisu
*Adapted from Masterchef Australia Volume 1

INGREDIENTS

6 eggs, separated
1⁄4 cup caster sugar
400 g mascarpone
1 cup stout, preferably chocolate stout
1⁄2 cup brewed coffee
24 - 36 Italian-style amaretti biscuits
Grated milk chocolate to serve


1. Beat the eggs yolks with the caster sugar until they are pale and thick. Mix in the mascarpone.

2. Using clean beaters, beat the eggwhites until soft peaks form. Carefully fold into the mascarpone and egg mixture.

3. Mix the stout and coffee together and dip the biscuits into the liquid quickly. Layer a few biscuits into serving glasses, followed by a thick layer of mascarpone mixture. Continue layering until you have used all the ingredients, then leave to set for at least a day. When ready to serve, top with grated chocolate.

The Tale of Criniti's Metre-Long Pizza, Parramatta

There are some challenges that just can't be ignored - some things that just have to be taken head on. Despite insurmountable odds and difficult obstacles, sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Enter the challengers:

JasmyneTea

Criniti's 1 Metre Pizza

Ready? Fight!

I'll admit, it wasn't a fair fight. I brought my step-mum Elain and 5 of her Tongan family members to help me out. Elain's sister Caroline booked us a table, but we were still a little delayed getting to our seats due to the sheer number of people, both dining and lining up outside.

Caprioska - $17.00

While we were waiting for Elain's cousins to arrive (45 minutes late - they run on Tongan time), we ordered a couple of drinks. Elain got the Caprioska, a refreshing concoction of lime, lychee, and strawberry vodka - 1 point to Criniti's.

This cocktail we ordered for the novelty cup, and the fact that it's meant to be for two people, but unfortunately it was a let down - it tasted like watered down red cordial.

Insalata Italiana - $16.00

We ordered a couple of salads to accompany our pizza. This Italian salad was a refreshing combination of tried and true ingredients: mixed greens, roma tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, roasted capsicum, liguaran olives and buffalo mozzarella, all tossed in aged balsamic.

Insalata di Cesare (with chicken) - $24.00

The Caesar salad was a thing of beauty - normally something I despise, the fresh lettuce, beautifully salty white anchovy and panchetta, char grilled chicken and broad slices of parmesan all won me over; Criniti's delivers a vicious right hook.

Pizza Al Metro (3 toppings) - $72.00 - 96.00 depending on toppings

And now, the main event! We ordered the whole metre, which meant we were allowed to choose three toppings. The Margherita was delectably scoffable; the thin, crispy, woodfired crust a perfect base for the sweet tomato sauce, fresh, herbaceous basil, and oozing, beautifully melted chunks of buffalo mozzarella. The Godfather was more delicious than it sounds, with chicken, creamy chunks of avocado, mozzarella, and semi-sundried tomatoes. The Calabrese was a meaty mixture of Italian sausage, salami, roasted capsicum, mozzarella, chilli and olives.

Finish him! (Who else played Mortal Kombat as a kid?)

The battle was of epic proportions, and so too were our stomachs by the end of the night, but it was official: Team JasmyneTea had won. To celebrate our victory, we did a victory lap around Church Street (which also helped us walk off some of that food). It was glorious, and we shall go down in the annals of history as those who defeated the legendary Pizza Al Metro. Win!

Criniti's

291 Church Street
Parramatta, NSW
2150

http://www.crinitis.com.au

Lunch of Champions: Meatball Sub

Back when I used to work on the Auburn Road side of Auburn (as opposed to the Rawson Street side), almost every day I would venture into Subway for lunch. There were two sandwiches that I would order, and two only: ham, lettuce, cucumber, cheese and tomato sauce on wheat bread, or, as a treat for when I particularly felt like red meat, a meatball and cheese sub on Italian herb & cheese bread. These days I make my own lunch, and it's been quite some time since I ordered anything from Subway, but lately I've been feeling like that meatball sandwich, so I decided to make my own (and by that, I mean ask Stephen to make me one, lol).

It turned out beautifully. The meatballs practically fell apart they were so soft, and the sauce was enhanced with rosemary instead of basil (as per the recipe). We used colby cheese, and the toasted roll was storebought, but very tasty indeed. You can find the recipe for the meatballs here; please do give it a try!

Orange Blossom Panna Cotta

When I first found a bottle of orange blossom water, I was ecstatic. I was making lists of things I could make with it, I was telling all of my friends about it, and I was looking forward to the myriad of posts I would write about it. Fast forward to 6 months later, and I had done absolutely nothing with orange blossom. That little bottle got lost in the pantry beneath jars of jam, packets of coffee beans, and tins of chickpeas. My dreams of orange blossom glory had been swept to the wayside in a flurry of real life activity.

Luckily, Stephen found time to resurrect said dreams in the form of an Orange Blossom Panna Cotta recipe from Masterchef Vol. 2. The panna cotta is accompanied by blood orange syrup and pain perdu (French toast), and we swapped the katalfi pastry in the original recipe for orange blossom pashmak (Persian fairy floss). Our panna cotta didn't turn out to be quite the same shape, but it was still thick and luscious and creamy. The pain perdu was crisp on the edges and nice and gooey towards the middle, and the tangy blood orange syrup cut through the sweetness of the rest of the dish.

Orange Blossom Panna Cotta with Pain Perdu & Blood Orange Syrup
*Adapted from Masterchef Australia Vol. 2

1 packet orange blossom pashmak

Panna Cotta
200mL milk
55g caster sugar
3 1/2 leaves gold-strength gelatine
200 mL pouring cream
3 tsp orange blossom water

Blood Orange Syrup
180mL freshly squeezed blood orange juice
55g caster sugar

Paid Perdu
16mL milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
160mL pouring cream
3 eggs yolks
2 tbs caster sugar
4 thick slices brioche

1. For the panna cotta, combine the milk and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir for a couple of minutes until sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile, place the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 3 minutes, then squeeze out the water and add to the pan. Stir to dissolve. Add the cream and orange blossom water and stir, then take off the heat and pour into four moulds. Refrigerate for 4 - 6 hours until set.

2. For the syrup, mix the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat (without boiling) and mix until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and reduce for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid is thicker.

3. To make the pain perdu, mix the milk, vanilla, and cream in a small saucepan. Over a low heat bring it to a simmer, then take it off the heat and remove the vanilla bean. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick, then pour the hot cream mixture into the egg, whisking constantly.

4. Soak the brioche slices for 10 - 30 seconds in the custard mixture, then just before serving, melt some butter in a pan over a medium heat and fry on each side for two minutes until golden brown.

5. To assemble, pour the syrup into 4 shallow dishes. Place the pain perdu in the middle of each bowl, then turn the panna cotta out onto the top. Finish with a pinch of pashmak.