Chef Johns French Toast Food

CHEF JOHN'S FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, and salt together in a large bowl. Place bread slices in egg mixture and soak, turning to coat, until bread is completely saturated.
• Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook bread in hot butter until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer toasted bread to a baking sheet.
• Bake toast in the oven until outside is crisp and slightly puffed, 12 to 15 minutes.

FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

CINNAMON BAKED FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter. Tear the bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a big bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably).
• For the topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and some nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir together using a fork. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter, and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a re-sealable plastic bag in the fridge.
• When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture or for 1 hour or more for a firmer, crisper texture.
• Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with warm pancake syrup and sprinkle with blueberries.

FETA CHEESE FRENCH TOAST WITH SPICED HONEY SYRUP

Steps:

• Place stale bread in a shallow dish just large enough to tightly fit the slices in one layer.
• Whisk eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, and heavy cream for batter together in a bowl and pour over bread slices. Use tongs to toss to coat evenly. If there's excess batter pooling at the bottom of the dish, spoon it over the top of the bread slices.
• Wrap and refrigerate until bread has absorbed all the batter or is fully saturated, 2 to 12 hours.
• To make the honey syrup, combine honey, water, chili flakes, and salt in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir and bring to a simmer, then cook for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and reserve until needed.
• Remove bread from the refrigerator and press sliced feta into the top of each piece; about 2 tablespoons feta should almost cover the surface of each piece.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place in the bread, cheese-side down. Cook until the cheese has caramelized and the surface is well browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the slices over, reduce heat to medium, and cook the other side until golden brown.
• Serve immediately with the honey syrup spooned over top.