French Toast With Tomatoes Food

THE BEST FRENCH TOAST I'VE EVER MADE

Steps:

• Choose your bread. If you like very thick french toast (you should try it at least once!), find a local bakery and get yourself a loaf of challah or brioche bread (buy a day-old loaf if they have it.) I don't like using French bread or the regular loaves you find in the deli at the grocery store; the crusts turn out too chewy. You want a nice soft edge. If you can't get to a bakery, head to the grocery store and buy the thickest and softest white bread you can find. (3/4 inch or thicker.) Texas toast is great. I like to use the Artesano brand of bread; they sell a pre-sliced brioche loaf that is pretty legit. But their white bread is also nice and soft. See photos.
• Slice your bread with a serrated knife if you are working with a whole loaf. See photos. I like my slices to be about 1 and 1/4 inch thick, which feels a little ridiculous, but trust me. You can even go up to 2 inches if you're feeling wild. Don't slice thinner than 3/4 inch.
• Set your bread aside, spread out so that it gets a little dried out. Day old bread is great for French toast. In France, they call this dish "Lost Bread" because it's what you make when you have dried out bread to use up. (I experimented with toasting the bread first, but thought it dried out the finished product too much.)
• Make the egg mixture. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl,* whisk together 3 egg yolks, 1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream* or half & half, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg, if you like. Whisk until it is completely smooth and the cinnamon is well incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into a shallow dish like a pie plate, or an 8x8 inch pan. Place a slice of bread in the mixture and let it sit there for 10 to 20 seconds. How long you soak it depends on how thick your bread is. It should be soft when you touch it, but still hold itself together. Flip the bread and soak the other side. You can start cooking the French toast right away, or you can place the soaked bread on a baking sheet or plate while you finish soaking all of them.
• Cook the French toast: Heat an electric griddle or large 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any oil with a high smoke point.) Swirl it around until the pan is coated. Place the French toast on the pan with 1 to 2 inches in between each slice of bread. Cook on medium low heat for 3-5 minutes. The timing depends on your oven or griddle, so stick around and keep an eye on it.
• Caramelize. When the bottom of the first side is LIGHT brown (we are going to cook this side twice), sprinkle about a half tablespoon granulated sugar on the top (raw) side of the bread. Flip the toast, sugar side down, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Be sure to swirl the pan so oil re-coats it, or add more butter/oil if necessary). Then, sprinkle another half tablespoon of sugar on the cooked side, and flip it over again so that it lightly caramelizes the first side.
• Keep your toast warm. Preheat your oven to the "keep warm" setting, about 170 degrees F. As you finish frying the toast, transfer each one to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Keep toast warm in the oven until ready to serve.
• I honestly don't even put maple syrup on caramelized French toast. I feel like it doesn't really need it, plus it makes the caramel edge not as crunchy. I like to eat it plain, or with a little jam. But maple syrup is really delicious if you are in the mood! A sprinkle of powdered sugar and a berry garnish never hurt either.
• Keep leftovers stored covered in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or the toaster. Or heat your oven to 350 and heat the toast all together on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, until the toast is warmed, about 5-10 minutes.

FRENCH TOAST WITH BACON, ONION AND TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Make the filling: Toss the bacon into a large skillet with a few drops of olive oil. Bring the pan to medium heat and cook the bacon until brown and crisp, about 13 minutes. Spoon off about half of the drippings. Add the onion to the pan and season with salt and the red pepper flakes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and very aromatic, 8 to 10 more minutes. Add the tomato, season with more salt and cook another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tomato is soft and mushy and most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and reseason if needed. Stir in the oregano and let cool.
• Make the French toast: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. In a wide dish, combine the eggs, milk, cayenne (if using) and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth and homogeneous.
• Lay 4 slices of bread on a work surface. Sprinkle each piece of bread lightly with cheese (use about half of the cheese). Spoon a quarter of the bacon filling onto each piece of bread, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top each slice with another piece of bread and press to secure. Working in batches, soak each "toast" in the egg mixture, about 1 minute; flip and soak the other side.
• While the toasts are soaking, coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring the pan to medium heat. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, cook the toasts for 2 to 3 minutes per side. The toasts should be golden brown, lovely and crisp-YUM! Transfer the toasts to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
• Make the eggs and assemble: Coat a large nonstick skillet lightly with olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the eggs to the pan, working in batches if necessary. Cook until the whites are cooked through and the yolks are warm and runny, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the toasts from the oven and top each with a perfectly fried egg. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.

FRENCH TOAST WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Slice Tomato to your preferred thickness ( 1/2").
• Beat 2 Eggs and Milk in a small flat bowl or pie plate
• Dredge bread slices in mixture.
• Heat skillet with Olive Oil.
• Grill until brown.
• Place Tomato slices on cooked french toast.
• Seasoned with pepper to taste.

CHEESY FRENCH TOAST WITH HAM & GRILLED VINE TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese and chives. Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Dip slices of bread into the egg mixture, then place them in the pan. Cook for 3-5 mins on each side, or until golden and crisp, then keep warm in a low oven if you need to.
• Place the vine tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until they start to soften and blister. On a large platter, pile up the cheesy French bread, grilled tomatoes, sliced ham and a pile of watercress, and let everyone dig in.

MUSHROOM, BACON & TOMATO FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high. Grill the bacon for 5-6 mins, then set aside.
• Put the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray and grill for 5 mins. Mix with the tomato chutney and set aside.
• Fry the mushrooms in ½ tbsp olive oil for 5 mins and set aside.
• Beat the egg with the milk in a shallow dish, add the bread and leave to soak for 1 min, turning once.
• Fry in the butter over a medium heat for 4 mins, then flip and cook for 4 mins more, until both sides are golden. Top with the tomato mix, bacon and mushrooms.

CLASSIC FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees, and place a wire rack on a sheet pan inside.
• In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, additional yolks, milk, vanilla (if using) and salt until foamy and smooth. Set aside. Place a small lump of butter (enough to coat the bottom of the skillet when melted) in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over low heat. It will melt very slowly.
• When butter is just melted and bubbling, raise heat and bring to a sizzle. Place 2 slices of bread in the bowl with the egg mixture. Turn them a few times in the mixture until evenly saturated, about 5 seconds on each side. Do not soak.
• Lift a slice out of the egg mixture, gently shake off any excess, and place in the pan. Repeat until the skillet is full, and let the slices cook at a sizzle for about 2 minutes, until just turning golden brown on the bottom.
• Add another small lump of butter to the pan and flip the slices over, swirling the pan so that the fresh butter coats the bottom. (This will allow the second side to brown.)
• Continue cooking over low heat until the second side is golden brown. Dust with cinnamon sugar, flip again, and dust the other side. Test for doneness by pressing the center: The dent should slowly spring back. If it remains, the interior is not yet cooked. Continue cooking at low heat, flipping occasionally, until done. Serve immediately, or transfer to the oven to keep warm while cooking remaining bread. Serve as soon as possible. Top with maple syrup, berries, jam, sliced bananas, orange supremes - whatever you'd like.