Today’s recipe for Poor Knights of Windsor (with Mincemeat) is a festive version of what I usually make, when I have a surfeit of stale bread
An Historical British French Toast Recipe
Today’s recipe for Poor Knights of Windsor (with Mincemeat) is a festive version of what I usually make, when I have a surfeit of old or stale bread.
The origins of this recipe, the British (English) version of the French Pain Perdu, American French Toast, or Norway’s Arme Riddere (Poor Knights) goes back to the 13th century.
Bread has always been a precious commodity – the “staff of Life” and for most people throughout history, it was an essential and cheap form of daily nourishment.
Therefore, bread was never thrown away once it bacame old, or stale, but was used in all manner of recipes, such as Bread Puddings, sweet & savoury puddings and other bread recipes such as Poor Knights of Windsor.
Poor Knights of Windsor are egg & sherry enriched soaked slices of bread, which are then fried in butter, sprinkled with cinnamon and doused in caster sugar BEFORE being served with jam.
As I mentioned before, they are similar the French version of Pain Perdu and the North American versions of French Toast insofar as they are slices of fried soaked bread, but the similarity stops there.
Poor Knights of Windsor have booze in them, which are soaked first and then dipped in the egg separately, and sometimes are served with a sweet & buttery sherry sauce on the side.
These unusually named sweet fried toasts have an interesting history; this dish originated during the middle ages in England and spread all over the world with many variations.
Traditionalists use stale bread, but stale cake is a good substitute and I like to use Brioche. Red wine can be used instead of sack (sherry), and you can add milk, as I have done here.
The Poor Knights of Windsor, incidentally, was a military order formed by King Edward III in the 14th Century. They are retired military men who accompany the Knights and Ladies of the Garter to services and ceremonies.
The red uniforms of the Military Knights adding colour and tone to proceedings, although why these boozy eggy breads are named after them is unclear.
For a festive flair, I served these with my home-made mincemeat, and a dollop of clotted cream, which made for a fabulous Christmas style pudding.
The sherry really enhances the dish and makes it taste very grown up ~ this recipe is sometimes called Poor Knights Pudding, which I assume falls into the bread pudding catergory of desserts.
Serves these for a Christmas breakfast or brunch, or as an alternative to Christmas Pudding, for a change, but with cream, or even brandy butter.
More Mincemeat Recipes
More Bread Recipes
Sherry Sauce
- For an sherry sauce on the side, melt 100g of butter in a pan, add 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sherry, stir and serve drizzled or spooned over the fried brioche.
Poor Knights of Windsor (with Mincemeat) Recipe
Poor Knights of Windsor (with Mincemeat)
Today's recipe for Poor Knights of Windsor (with Mincemeat) is a festive version of what I usually make, when I have a surfeit of old or stale bread.
The origins of this recipe, the British (English) version of the French Pain Perdu, American French Toast, or Norway's Arme Riddere (Poor Knights) goes back to the 13th century.
Bread has always been a precious commodity - the "staff of Life" and for most people throughout history, it was an essential and cheap form of daily nourishment.
Therefore, bread was never thrown away once it bacame old, or stale, but was used in all manner of recipes, such as Bread Puddings, sweet & savoury puddings and other bread recipes such as Poor Knights of Windsor.
Poor Knights of Windsor are egg & sherry enriched soaked slices of bread, which are then fried in butter, sprinkled with cinnamon and doused in caster sugar BEFORE being served with jam.
As I mentioned before, they are similar the French version of Pain Perdu and the North American versions of French Toast insofar as they are slices of fried soaked bread, but the similarity stops there,
Poor Knights of Windsor have booze in them, which are soaked first and then dipped in the egg separately, and sometimes are served with a sweet & buttery sherry sauce on the side.
These unusually named sweet fried toasts have an interesting history; this dish originated during the middle ages in England and spread all over the world with many variations.
Traditionalists use stale bread, but stale cake is a good substitute and I like to use Brioche. Red wine can be used instead of sack (sherry), and you can add milk, as I have done here.
The Poor Knights of Windsor, incidentally, was a military order formed by King Edward III in the 14th Century. They are retired military men who accompany the Knights and Ladies of the Garter to services and ceremonies.
The red uniforms of the Military Knights adding colour and tone to proceedings, although why these boozy eggy breads are named after them is unclear.
For a festive flair, I served these with my home-made mincemeat, and a dollop of clotted cream, which made for a fabulous Christmas style pudding.
The sherry really enhances the dish and makes it taste very grown up ~ this recipe is sometimes called Poor Knights Pudding, which I assume falls into the bread pudding catergory of desserts.
Serves these for a Christmas breakfast or brunch, or as an alternative to Christmas Pudding, for a change, but with cream, or even brandy butter.
Ingredients
- 2 x Brioche buns, split in half
- 2 x tablespoons caster sugar
- 1/4 pint (150ml) full fatmilk
- 1 tablespoon sweet sherry
- 1 tablespoon white wine
- 2 x egg yolks, beaten
- 75 g butter
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
- Mincemeat, to serve
- Cream, to serve
Instructions
- Place 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the milk, white wine and sherry in a shallow dish and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Place the egg yolks in a shallow dish and beat well then dip the slices of brioche in the milk mixture and then into the egg yolks.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the brioche until golden brown on both sides.
- Drain well and keep hot while the remaining pieces are fried.
- To serve – sprinkle with sugar and mixed spice, and serve hot with a tablespoon of mincemeat on each half, with cream.
Notes
For a sherry sauce on the side, melt 100g of butter in a pan, add 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add 2 tablespoons of sherry, stir and serve drizzled or spooned over the fried brioche.
DO try these instead of the usual French Toast, the fact that the egg is added after soaking makes a crispy covering that keeps the bread inside all fluffy and almost soufflé like ~ it’s all very historical and genteel!
Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 654Total Fat 49gSaturated Fat 29gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 384mgSodium 621mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 1gSugar 10gProtein 11g
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