Butter Toast Bread Sauce

• white crustless bread, sliced140g g
• butter↗85g g
• onion↗1

  finely chopped

• bay leaf↗1
• thyme sprig↗1
• milk↗600ml ml
• ground clovespinch of
• ground nutmeg↗pinch of
• double cream↗100ml ml

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Toast the bread slices in a toaster or under a grill on both sides until dark brown. Let them cool, then pulse in a food processor into coarse crumbs. If using an air fryer, preheat it to 180 °C. Place the bread in the basket and toast for 2‑3 minutes on each side until deep golden. You may need to do this in batches. Let cool, then pulse again into coarse crumbs.

2. 2

   Heat half the butter in a saucepan and gently cook the onion for about 10 minutes until it begins to brown and become sticky. Add the bay leaf and thyme sprig, then pour in the milk. Add spices and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Remove the herbs, then add all the crumbs except the pinch, and cook over low heat, gently simmering until the sauce thickens. For an ultra‑smooth sauce, blend it in the pot with an immersion blender. It can be cooled for up to two days or frozen for up to 2 months, then reheated before serving.

4. 4

   While the sauce simmers, melt the remaining butter in a small pan and cook until it sizzles and turns a nut‑brown colour. Add the remaining crumbs and fry in the butter until they become very crisp, then remove from heat.

5. 5

   Stir the cream into the sauce and heat for a few more minutes, then transfer to a serving dish. Top with the crispy crumbs and the remaining nut‑butter mixture before serving.