ULTIMATE FRENCH TOAST

Ok cubs, sit up and take notice. Nothing says “pick me Daddy” like this recipe. I recently shared this one with a local cub and he is quite happily settling down with his new Papa - they owe Butch Bear some video footage me thinks. Need I say more?

Like most things I am sharing with you guys, this is more about a technique than a recipe. French toast is not toast nor is it that sorry, egg soaked excuse so often served up at restaurants. Good French toast is actually custard soaked bread, slowly cooked to perfection.

This one is easy to do, the magic is in the technique. For this one you will need a nice sized bowl, a good wire wisk and a large skillet with a lid.

What you’ll need:
4 eggs
1Tbsp. sugar
1tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. orange oil or orange brandy
Cinnamon
1/2 c. half-and-half
French bread baguette, day old, 1-inch slices

Into the bowl crack 4 eggs. Wisk well. Not just until they are broken, but give them a good beating until they begin to foam. Add a tablespoon of sugar and wisk some more. Now add 1 teaspoon of vanilla (please, only the real stuff in your kitchen) and a 1/2 teaspoon of orange oil or better yet, a splash of a good orange brandy. Sprinkle a light dusting of cinnamon and wisk some more. Now, this is the tricky part. Adding just enough half-and-half to make this a custard. It does not take much. Too little and you end up with scrambled eggs and too much and the French toast never sets. To four eggs, I find that about only 1/2 cup of half-and-half is required. Experiment until you find your own happy balance.

Now, for the bread. Do NOT use sliced white bread. Heathens. Use some day old French bread baguette. Slice to about 1 inch thick. I find three slices per serving is good. Soak the bread slices until they can soak up no more liquid. Set on a plate and allow to set for another 5 minutes. The bread should be just soaked with the liquid.

Into your skillet drop a generous wad of butter. Lay the slices in the skillet and cover. Cook over medium heat. The goal of this first part of the cooking is to allow the bread to get hot inside to allow the liquid to cook. Cooking too fast results in a raw middle. Continue to cook over medium heat. This should take 20 to 30 minutes here. The bread slices will puff up quite large. This is the sign that the insides have cooked. Remove the cover and continue to cook until the bread slices get crispy on the outside. You may need to raise the heat a bit but keep an eye on this! It is easy to burn your efforts at this stage.

Server with lots of butter and your (or his) favorite syrup(s).

Ok, you REALLY want to score big? Of course you do. Try this variation.

Cut bread into 8 inch long sections and split down the middle. Like a hot dog bun is sliced. Soak well in the liquid. Into a 9x9 GLASS pan that is slathered with butter, place the two half's of the bread just like you were going to place a hot dog into it. Now, fill with a ready-made (or homemade, even better) apple filling. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Try this technique and send in your video footage...

 

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