Bacon And Gruyere Pain Perdu Food

QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• Blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. (If there are any cracks in the crust, see note below on how to patch them up.) Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet to make it easy to move in and out of the oven. Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate. (If it cracks while baking, see note below for instructions on how to patch it up.) Set aside and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
• In a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
• Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust. Top with half of the bacon, all of the Gruyère, and then the remaining bacon. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
• Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
• Note: Don't panic if your crust has cracks -- you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then proceed with the recipe. If the crust cracks while blind baking, patch it afterwards and place it back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: This quiche can be fully prepared up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and heat in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be frozen for up to 3 months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.

JIMMY BRADLEY'S SALAD WITH GRUYèRE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes in a shallow foil-lined roasting pan; drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and toss. Bake 40 minutes, until tender and crisped, stirring after 20 minutes. Loosely cover with foil; keep warm in low oven.
• Meanwhile, fry bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
• Make the roux. Melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes until the mixture is golden. Reserve.
• Combine shallots and wine in a nonreactive saucepan; boil until reduced to 1/3 cup. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the reserved roux and heavy cream, simmer and stir in cheese, a little at a time, until melted and mixture is smooth. Taste; season with pepper. If necessary, thin with more cream. Keep warm.
• Combine remaining oil, the vinegar and mustard in a large bowl. Whisk until blended. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add warm potatoes, bacon, endive and arugula or dandelion greens; toss to coat.
• Ladle fondue into a large bowl and place the salad atop or serve in individual shallow bowls.

LOUISIANA STYLE FRENCH TOAST (OR PAIN PERDU)

Steps:

• Beat together the eggs,sugar,and vanilla extract.
• Dip each slice of bread into the batter to coat both sides.
• Drain off excess batter and cook on a hot griddle that has been first sprayed with nonstick butter flavor spray (or brushed with oil).
• Brown well on both sides,but don't let burn.
• Dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup on the side.
• Note: You may use any kind of bread you prefer-however,the softer the bread you use, the soggier it will be (I prefer to use day old challah bread or Italian bread slices).
• The number of servings will also vary depending upon the size of your bread slices- I usually serve 2-3 slices per person.

BACON AND GRUYERE PAIN PERDU

Steps:

• Butter the insert of a large slow cooker.
• In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp and browned.
• Transfer to paper towels to drain; crumble the bacon.
• Pour off all but 1 T of the fat from the skillet.
• Add the shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs until blended.
• Beat in the milk, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir in the bacon, shallots, and Parmesan.
• Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.
• Pour the mixture over the bread cubes and stir well.
• Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.
• Press the bread cubes down into the liquid; sprinkle with the Gruyere.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Serve hot, scooping it out of the dish.

SAVORY PARMESAN PAIN PERDU WITH POACHED EGGS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
• Butter a 1-quart shallow baking dish or a 9-inch pie plate. Arrange bread in 1 layer in dish.
• Whisk together milk, 1 egg, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with cheese and press lightly to help bread absorb custard. Let stand until absorbed, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Dot with butter and bake, uncovered, until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Bring 2 inches water to a boil with a few drops of vinegar in a small deep skillet or saucepan. Break each remaining egg into a cup and slide into water, spacing eggs apart. Poach at a bare simmer to desired doneness (we prefer firm whites with runny yolks, 2 to 3 minutes).
• Meanwhile, toss greens with remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
• Divide pain perdu between 2 plates and top with salad. Lift eggs out of poaching liquid 1 at a time with a slotted spoon and place on top of salad. Lightly season eggs with salt and pepper.

PAIN PERDU

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon until blended. Arrange the bread in a large shallow baking dish, overlapping the slices if necessary.
• Pour the milk mixture over the bread and let stand for at least 30 minutes, carefully turning the bread with a wide spatula and rearranging it so it is evenly moistened halfway through the standing time.
• Position one oven rack in the upper third of the oven and one in the lower third and preheat the oven to 400°. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter on each of two baking sheets with sides and place in the oven until the butter melts and pans are hot, about 5 minutes. Tilt the pans so the butter covers them evenly. Remove from the oven.
• Place 5 to 6 slices of the soaked bread on each of the hot pans, spacing them evenly. Bake for 15 minutes. Take the pans out of the oven and turn each piece of bread over with a wide spatula. Return the pans to the oven, placing the one from the top rack on the bottom rack on the top, and bake until the bread is puffed and evenly browned, 15 to 20 minutes more.
• Transfer to a platter, dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup, if desired.

PAIN PERDU ROANOKE (LOST BREAD)

Steps:

• TO PREPARE THE CORNBREAD:.
• Preheat oven to 400; Spray an 8x4x3" loaf pan with nonstick spray.
• In a bowl, add the corn muffin mix, 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk, savory (or thyme) and cayenne.
• Mix according to package directions, then gently fold in the corn.
• Pour into the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool.
• PAIN PERDUE:.
• Slice the loaf of cornbread into 6 even slices, then cut each slice in half diagonally, so you have 12 triangles.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs.
• Add the milk, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla and mix well.
• Pour enough oil into a skillet (or electric skillet) to about 2"; heat to 350.
• Soak the triangles of cornbread in the egg mixture, carefully removing the pieces to the hot oil.
• Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown, turning once.
• Remove the pieces from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper.
• Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve with maple syrup.
• NOTES: You can substitute your own favorite homemade cornbread recipe for the corn muffin mix (you'll need a recipe that would normally fit an 8x8" pan).
• Just omit the corn muffin mix, the 1/4 cup milk and the 1 egg, prepare your own recipe, then add the corn and cayenne as directed, and proceed with the recipe from that point.

PAIN PERDU

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, milk, brandy and orange zest. Beat until thick and foamy.
• Pour mixture into a shallow pan.
• Soak bread slices in the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until they are thoroughly soaked through.
• Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Lightly spray griddle with cooking spray.
• Cook the bread slices 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve hot.