Scribbles & Munch

      There is little doubt that when it comes to cuisine, the French have it down. Within most ethnic palates, you run the gamut from snacky street food to fine dining (Japanese food, for example, offers everything from Chef Morimoto's Waikiki restaurant to the Yummy Teriyaki down the street).  But for the French, even their street snacks (crepes,* for example) have a level of sophistication that demand respect. So it's not wonder that their version of toast is better than normal! Rather than simply taking a slice of stale bread and disguising the flavor by toasting it, first they soak it in a custard, then they fry it in butter, then they add MORE butter and pour syrup on top!

I think my skillet loves it when I do this.

      Or maybe not...for all I know, the French didn't even invent the stuff, just like they didn't invent french fries. But who cares, french toast is bloody delicious, and really it's one of the easiest things to make, so long as you know the proper way to treat ingredients!
      When I was growing up, my father made french toast on weekends with regular, pre-sliced white sandwich bread, fresh from the plastic bag. And since I got to pour maple syrup all over it, I liked it just fine! But it only takes a few servings of french toast at various restaurants to realize that there are many, many variations out there. Some are good, some are not so good, and some are amazing. I've experimented with several recipes myself, and honestly there are about three versions I cycle through, depending on my mood. Today, my mood went back to the classic, a standard french toast recipe that's thick, and flavorful, and lovely on a drizzly spring morning.

Z.D.'s Basic French Toast with Walnuts and Bananas
serves two, multiply as desired

Ingredients:
6 slices French bread, about 1" thick, left out overnight to go stale**
6 eggs
1/2 Cup whole milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
generous pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 Cup raw walnut pieces
clarified butter for greasing the pan (or unsalted, or shortening, or whatever)

To get the bread properly stale, I leave my slices out all night on their edges--if you lay them flat, the top will get stale, but the bottom will not.

Directions: 
 - Select a dish with sides at least 1" high, big enough to hold all your slices of toast side by side, but not with too much extra space. Crack your eggs directly into this dish.

My experience has taught me that good french toast almost inevitably requires one egg per slice of bread.

 - Add half of the milk, vanilla, salt, and spices. Beat thoroughly to combine. Your custard should be about as thick as natural cream, and a light but distinct yellow color. If it's too thick, add more milk until it reaches desired consistency.

And then...whisk!

 - Set in your slices of stale bread so they are flat, side by side. Allow to soak for about 8-10 minutes.

You want all your bread to lay flat, but without a bunch of extra space, since that means the custard is spread out and won't absorb as easily.

 - In the meantime, heat a large, dry skillet over medium heat. Throw in your walnut pieces and toast, stirring every few minutes, until fragrant and starting to turn golden in spots. Remove from heat and set aside.

Toasting nuts have to be one of the best smells in the world!

 - Turn over your toast and allow the dry side to soak up the remaining custard. If you find that your bread has absorbed too much and there are dry spots on the bottom of your soaking dish, break another egg or two into a cup, add a Tablespoon of milk and a dash of cinnamon and vanilla. Beat the heck out of it, then pour it into your pan and tilt so that it reaches the bottoms of all the bread. Allow 4-5 minutes to soak.

That's what you're looking for!

 - Wipe out your skillet with a clean, damp cloth, and place over medium-high heat. Grease lightly with clarified butter (or whatever). Check your slices of bread: if there are any that have dry spots or hard crust, let them soak longer. If you have pieces that are nicely soaked through, lay them in your hot pan. Cook for a minute, then reduce the heat to medium.

Just keep the first pieces warm in a low temperature oven.

 - Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until brown on one side. Flip, and cook until the other side is nicely browned and the toast is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining slices.

It never ceases to amaze me how much custard that bread soaks up!

 - Top with toasted walnuts, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of syrup (or in this case, caramel sauce).

Now THAT's breakfast!

      Of course there are other ways to top french toast, including strawberries and whipped cream, good quality fruit preserves, powdered sugar and maple syrup, or even ice cream. Or you could go a savory route and make a Monte Cristo sandwich (YUMMM)! For other variations, try switching out your spices: instead of cinnamon, try a double dose of cardamom, or maybe ground grains of paradise! You can also add a bit of honey or maple syrup to the custard for an extra touch of sweetness. But whatever you do, eat the toast while it's warm and fragrant, and don't make so much that you can't eat it all in one sitting--re-heating french toast is an exercise in rubbery flavorlessness. It's better to make a fresh batch from scratch!



*Yes, I will do a post on crepes in the near future. Promise.

**Why stale bread? Because it absorbs the custard more quickly, and retains more of it while cooking. And the custard bath is where your flavor is!