Mascarpone And Bacon Stuffed French Toast With Chorizo And Clams Recipes

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST WITH GRUYERE, MUSTARD GREENS AND DOUBLE-SMOKED BACON

Steps:

• Whisk together the creme fraiche, mustard and hot sauce in a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Set a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, turning once, about 8 minutes. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, and then cut the slices into thirds.
• Add the red onions to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to caramelize, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the mustard greens, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until just starting to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, and then transfer the greens to a bowl.
• Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and half-and-half in a baking dish until smooth. Add the Parmesan and some salt and pepper; whisk until combined.
• Spread the bread slices with some of the creme fraiche mixture, and top with a slice of Gruyere. Top half of the slices with 3 or 4 pieces of bacon and a little mound of greens. Turn the remaining slices, cheese-side down, on top of the greens and press down to make sandwiches.
• Working in batches of two, soak the sandwiches in the egg mixture on both sides until just soaked, about 2 minutes per side.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (If you have a skillet large enough to cook all four sandwiches at once, add all of the oil and butter now.) Add two sandwiches to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and fry until crisp, golden and cooked through on both sides, about 5 minutes per side--cover the pan if needed to help the cheese melt, and adjust the heat to prevent the French toast from burning. Repeat with the remaining oil, butter and sandwiches.
• Halve the cooked sandwiches on the diagonal and serve hot.

MASCARPONE-STUFFED FRENCH TOAST WITH BERRY TOPPING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in water. Stir in frozen berries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in fresh berries., On each of six bread slices, spread 1 tablespoon mascarpone to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with remaining bread. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs, cream, milk, cinnamon and vanilla., In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Dip both sides of sandwiches in egg mixture, allowing each side to soak 2 minutes. Place three sandwiches in skillet; toast 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. Serve with warm berry sauce.

FRENCH TOAST STUFFED WITH BACON, ONION TOMATO JAM WITH GRUYERE, AND A FRIED EGG

Steps:

• For the filling: Toss the bacon into a large saute pan with a few drops of olive oil. Bring the pan to medium heat and cook the bacon until brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onion and season with salt and the crushed red pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and very aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato, season with more salt, and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and mushy and most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and reseason if needed. Stir in the oregano and let cool.
• For the French toast: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• In a wide, flat 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. Using half the Gruyere, sprinkle each piece of bread lightly with cheese. Spoon a quarter of the bacon filling onto each piece of bread and 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 for 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.
• For the fried eggs and assembly:
• Coat a large nonstick saute pan lightly with olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the eggs to the pan, working in batches if necessary. Cook them 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 if you like and serve immediately.