Nieves Barragán Mohacho’s torrijas with orange sauce

SERVES 4–6

(Start 1 day before serving)

For the orange sauce 1 orange (preferably Seville) 40g caster sugar 50ml Ponche Caballero or Cointreau 1 cinnamon stick

Prepare the torrijas in advance. Put the milk and cream in a pan with the cinnamon,sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar and infuse the milk, then alllow to cool.

Meanwhile, cut the crusts off the brioche (discarding the crusts), then cut the brioche into thick (approx. 3cm) slices. Cut the slices in half to give 3 x 3cm chunks. Put the bread into a container in a single layer and pour over the infused milk mixture. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.

To make the orange sauce, peel the orange without including any of the pith, then cut the peel into shreds. Divide the orange into segments and remove the membrane and any remaining pith.

Put the orange peel and segments into a pan over a low– medium heat with the rest of the sauce ingredients and 20ml water. Stir together gently. Cook for around 15 minutes, stirring constantly – the mixture will start to break down and become almost like marmalade. Add a splash more water if it looks like it needs it – it should be thick, not too runny. Set aside until ready to serve.

The brioche should have soaked up all the milk overnight. Remove from the fridge and put the butter into a frying pan on a medium heat. When it’s melted, sprinkle over a little sugar, then add the brioche pieces to the pan. Caramelise the brioche pieces, turning until golden brown on all sides and sprinkling with more sugar as you turn – they should be crispy on the outside but milky within. Spoon the orange sauce on to a plate and put the torrijas on top – serve just as it is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.