First, make the custard infusion: Heat milk and cream with citrus peels and spices. Bring to a boil, switch off and cover, leaving to infuse for at least 30 minutes but up to several hours.

To prepare the custard, add the sugar to the milk/cream mixture and heat until steaming. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Whilst whisking the eggs, pour the hot milk/cream mixture and whisk well. Pass through a sieve to remove the peels and cinnamon stick. Set aside.

To prepare the pudding, brush one side of each brioche slice with the melted browned butter. Leave to cool slightly, then cut into 2-3cm squares. Set aside.

Pile the brioche squares loosely into your lined loaf tin. It's nice if there are pockets for the custard to settle into. Now pour the custard over - go slowly, filling in all the gaps and ensuring each piece of bread gets a soaking. If the ones on the top miss out, that's okay - it'll just be extra crispiness.

Sprinkle with demerara sugar. If using a water bath: Place the loaf tin in a larger baking tray with high sides and fill halfway with boiling water. You can skip this step, but you will get the best results with a water bath, but please make sure your tin is watertight first!

Bake at 160c for 40-50 minutes or until a thermometer reads at least 74-75c. Start checking after 40 minutes.

Either serve immediately or leave to cool completely, then cut into thick slices and fry in butter, around 1-2 minutes per side. Serve with cream or custard, plus caramel poached mandarins in their syrup.