Toasted French Bread With Blood Orange Coulis And Foie Gras Food

THE BEST FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Cut the bread into 8 slices about 3/4-inch thick. Arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (it's ok if they overlap). Bake, flipping them halfway through, until very lightly golden on both sides, about 12 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet until ready to use. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees F.
• Vigorously whisk the eggs in a large bowl until blended and no streaks of whites remain. Add the half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg and whisk until completely incorporated. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.
• Gently press 2 slices of the toasted bread into the custard. Turn to coat and then gently press down on the bread until you feel it start to soak up the custard-this is key for a luscious, moist texture. Let the bread soak for about 1 minute per side; it should feel heavy but still hold its shape and not fall apart.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook 2 of the soaked bread slices until they are a deep golden brown, the custard has set and the insides are cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. The center of the bread will puff slightly while the crust will contract, making it look puckered. You may have to alternate between medium and medium-low heat if the bread browns too quickly or not fast enough. Transfer the slices to a rimmed baking sheet and hold in the warm oven. Repeat with the remaining butter and bread.
• Serve the French toast with butter, maple syrup and a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar.

CRUNCHY ORANGE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Fit a baking sheet with a wire rack. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Zest the orange and set aside. Working over a medium bowl, segment the orange; squeeze the juice from the remaining orange membranes.
• Whisk the eggs, orange zest, milk, cinnamon and orange juice in a baking dish or shallow bowl. Add the cornflakes and bacon to another baking dish and toss together. Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture and let them soak for 1 minute.
• While the bread is soaking, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter on the griddle pan or skillet.
• Working with one slice of bread at a time, let the excess egg mixture drip off and then dredge the bread in the cornflake mixture. Add the bread to the griddle, carefully placing as many slices of bread as can comfortably fit without touching too much (it's OK if the edges need to touch a little). You can dredge the bread, transfer it to an unlined baking sheet and hold for 5 minutes while one batch is cooking.
• Cook on one side, rotating occasionally, until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until it is equally browned, another 2 minutes. Transfer the slices to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you complete the next batches. Repeat the cooking process, melting 2 tablespoons of butter for each batch.
• When all of the French toast is cooked and you are ready to serve, gently stir together the maple syrup and orange segments, making sure not to break up the segments. Spoon the syrup over the French toast and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve immediately.

TOASTED FRENCH BREAD WITH BLOOD ORANGE COULIS AND FOIE GRAS

Steps:

• Combine blood orange zest and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens into a syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let coulis cool, about 5 minutes.
• Spread cooled coulis over toasted baguette slices. Spread foie gras on top.