Serves: 6 - 8
1 onion, halved
10 cloves
568ml whole milk, plus a splash more if needed
2-3 blades of mace
2 bay leaves
8 black peppercorns
1⁄4 tsp salt
120g fresh white bread, torn into chunks
4 tbsp single cream
freshly grated nutmeg
For the rosemary brown butter:
50g unsalted butter
1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped
1. Stud the onion halves with the cloves and put in a saucepan with the milk, mace, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Heat to just bubbling, then set aside to cool and infuse.
2. Strain the infused milk into a clean pan and gently reheat. Whizz the bread in a food processor to crumbs, then add to the milk, stirring until it thickens. Season, grate in a little nutmeg to taste and add more milk if it looks too thick; keep warm.
3. For the brown butter, melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat, swirling every now and again, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty – about 5-8 minutes. Add the chopped rosemary and cook for 1 minute. Take off the heat, add a pinch of salt and spoon over the bread sauce before serving.