French bread sauce

• stale French stick↗200g g
• whole milk↗700ml/1¼ pints ml
• small onion↗1

  peeled and studded with 6 cloves

• bay leaf↗1
• butter↗generous knob of
• ground allspicepinch of

  pinch of

• double cream↗3 tbsp tbsp

  plus extra to serve

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Shave the light brown crust from the outside of the French stick with a bread knife and discard it. Cut the bready centre into cubes, about 5cm across.

2. 2

   In a saucepan, bring the milk, onion, bay leaf, butter, allspice and 3 tbsp of cream to the boil, reduce the heat then add the diced bread.

3. 3

   Gently simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, then allow to cool and remove the onion and bay leaf. The sauce can be refrigerated in a covered container overnight.

4. 4

   To serve, warm through gently in a pan, adding extra double cream to give a light, creamy consistency. Grind over some black pepper and serve.