The sweet and savoury of French Toast – Recipe Post
“Pain Perdu” – doesn’t that have a kind of romantic ring to it? That’s what French toast is called in French, meaning “lost bread” as it is a way to reclaim stale or otherwise “lost” bread. Originally day old bread was soaked in milk then in beaten eggs before being fried. Today it’s just so much simpler to combine the two steps and cut down the time taken. Cos let’s be real, time is real estate is today’s life. Except on a Sunday morning…
Yes, those lazy, slow lie-in mornings, when you don’t set the alarm the night before and your eyes just drift open once your body has had enough sleep and you can slowly wake up and enjoy the morning sunlight on your face while you peacefully awake from your slumber….. uhm, no! That was before you had a 3 year old that no matter which day of the week it is, is bounding into your bed at 6am, if he did not make it in there some time in the middle of the night that is. Now you’re woken by a little finger prising your eye open before they can even handle the first morning rays. That beautiful ray of sunlight now pierces your cornea with lazer accuracy and you squeeze your lids shut in pain. But that little finger finds you again as you retreat beneath the warm covers and pulls you protesting into the morning. “Mommy, mommy, wake up, can I watch Ben Elf on your phone?” or “I want porridge”…. Yes, the lazy Sunday morning is no more but the tradition of Sunday morning French toast still prevails.
Granted, we don’t do French toast every Sunday morning, but it is a regular feature. And from it’s humble beginnings in my recipe repertoire in it’s simplest form I have found ways to re-invent it and make it interesting and exciting. Of course, there is always comfort in the simplicity of the tried and trusted but I’ve included some sweet and savoury variations on the traditional.
The Classic French Toast
You will need:
3 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
pinch of salt
This should work for about 6 to 7 slices of bread. Use day old bread if possible as fresh bread tends to break more easily when you soak it. Beat everything (except bread) together in a flatish bowl that can fit a full slice of bread at a time. Dip one slice at a time turning to coat both sides. You can poke holes in the bread with a fork while in the bowl to speed up soaking but work quickly as it will fall apart if it gets too saturated. Put a small knob of butter or ghee into a hot non stick pan and when melted pop in the toast. Fry till golden brown.
Growing up we used to enjoy this sprinkled with sugar while hot. Now I drizzle it with honey instead.
The Savoury French Toast
This recipe is inspired by instagrammer @aniseeds.
You will need:
3 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/4 tsp ground dhunya / coriander
1/4 tsp ground jeera / cumin
1/4 tsp ground chilli powder
a few sprigs of fresh dhunya/coriander leaves
Use about 6 to 7 slices of day old bread. You can use white or brown. I used brown in this photo. Beat everything (except bread) together in a flatish bowl that can fit a full slice of bread at a time. Add a few leaves of the fresh dhunya to the mix and stir it in. Dip one slice at a time turning to coat both sides. Put a small knob of butter or ghee into a hot non stick pan and when melted pop in the toast. Fry till golden brown.
A really great spin on this is to sandwich 2 slices with grated cheese and a few onion slices and fry till the cheese is melted. Serve with some Sriracha sauce for an added kick.
The Sweet French Toast
You will need:
3 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
pinch of salt
Nutella or other chocolate spread
Use about 6 to 7 slices of day old bread. Spread 3 slices generously with Nutella and sandwich with a second slice. Cut each sandwich into 3 sticks. Beat eggs, milk and salt together in a bowl. Dip one stick at a time turning to coat all sides. Put a small knob of butter or ghee into a hot non stick pan and when melted pop in the toast. Fry till golden brown on all sides. You can dress this up with fresh cream and strawberries or any other fruit for a really pretty looking plate. Here I’ve used cream cheese and Seville Orange marmalade. The combination of orange and chocolate is always a winner for me.
How do you like your French Toast? Do share your recipe in the comments.
