Pain Perdu Food

PAIN PERDU

Steps:

• Place the bread in a large bowl and set aside.
• Whisk together the cream, vanilla sugar, brandy, salt and eggs (or use a blender). Pour over the bread. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then turn the bread over to ensure proper absorption. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Sprinkle some flour and some vanilla sugar on top of the bread slices. When the foam from the butter subsides, put the soaked bread in the pan and cook on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the bread and place the pan in the oven until cooked through and custardy in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Serve with powdered sugar and maple syrup.

PAIN PERDU

Steps:

• Stir together the milk and vanilla in a shallow dish. Soak the bread slices in the milk mixture for about 5 minutes, turning once so that they absorb the milk evenly.
• Beat the egg with the sugar and pour onto a plate.
• Heat the butter in a skillet until sizzling. Take the bread from the milk, holding it above the bowl to drain slightly. Dip into the egg mixture to coat both sides, then drop into the sizzling butter and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.
• At the last minute, sprinkle the tops with a little extra sugar and "broil" with a blowtorch (or place them on a baking sheet under the broiler until the sugar, melts, bubbles and turns golden).
• Divide the bread among serving plates. Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dribbling of fresh, ripe cherries and blackberries that have been sauteed in butter and sugar and possibly flamed.

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.

GRILLED PAIN PERDU

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Gradually whisk in the half-and-half and the buttermilk. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Working in batches, if necessary, place the bread in the dish and let soak, then turn and soak on the other side.
• Cook the soaked bread on a grill or buttered griddle until golden brown, then turn and repeat on the other side.
• Meanwhile, prepare the grapefruit sections.
• In a saute pan, add the maple syrup and bring to a boil. Place the grapefruit sections in the hot syrup and cook on 1 side for 30 seconds, then flip them over to cook and warm through on the other side. Pour the grapefruit and syrup over the French toast then top with dollops of mascarpone.

PAIN PERDU

Steps:

• Beat the eggs, add the cream, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Submerge the bread slices in the egg mixture for 5 minutes. Lay both sides of the bread in the almonds to coat. Heat the butter in a heavy pan until the foam subsides, then add the slices of bread. Cook over low flame until delicate brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, garnish with sliced fruit and serve hot.

NEW ORLEANS PAIN PERDU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°; butter the baking sheet.
• In a shallow dish, whisk the eggs, milk, cream, whiskey, sugar, vanilla, and salt together.
• Dunk the bread slices into the egg mixture and soak them for at least 10 minutes, turning if needed to coat evenly, until saturated but short of falling apart.
• Warm 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil together on a griddle or in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Briefly cook the French toast in batches until golden brown and lightly crisp, turning once.
• Put the first slices on the baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven.
• Continue cooking the remaining slices, adding more butter and oil as needed.
• When all the French toast is ready, dust with powdered sugar.
• Serve immediately with berries and maple syrup, if desired.

PAIN PERDU (LOST BREAD FROM LOUISIANA)

Steps:

• Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, syrup, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
• Pour the syrup evenly over the bottom of the prepared dish. Arrange the bread slices in the dish on top of the syrup mixture. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Uncover the dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until the French toast is lightly browned and slightly puffed. Serve hot.

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.