Blueberry French toast with crème anglaise

For the custard, pour the milk and cream into a saucepan. Split and scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add those, along with the pod itself. Place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn off the heat, cover and set aside for 1 hour to infuse

While the custard infuses, make the blueberry compote. Add everything to a small saucepan and place over a medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until the fruit has started to break down and the liquid has reduced slightly. Remove and set aside

Once the infusing time is up, place the pan back on the heat and bring it back to a simmer. Meanwhile, add the yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt to a large bowl and whisk together to combine. Pour over the hot milk mixture, whisking as you pour to prevent the yolks from scrambling. Pour this custard back into the pan and put back over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches between 80-82ºC or is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into a jug and refrigerate until needed

To make the French toast, place the eggs, milk and sugar in a jug and whisk to combine. Place the brioche onto a small rimmed baking tray and pour over the custard. Leave the bread to soak in the custard for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through so each slice is evenly coated

While the bread soaks, whip the cream to soft peaks using an electric whisk

Add the butter to a wide frying pan over a medium-low heat. Once melted and foaming, add the soaked brioche slices (work in batches if you need to). Leave the brioche undisturbed until it has formed a golden crust on the bottom, then flip and cook for another few minutes to achieve the same finish on the other side

To serve, cover the base of your serving dishes with the chilled vanilla custard, then put a piece of French toast on top. Finish with a spoonful of whipped cream, make a well in the centre of it with the back of a spoon, then fill it with blueberry compote