Pain Perdu Lost Bread New Orleans Style French Toast Recipes

FRENCH TOAST OR PAIN PERDU (LOST BREAD)

Steps:

• Scramble eggs with a fork in a shallow bowl.
• Add half and half and continue stirring until the egg and cream are well incorporated.
• Stir in vanilla and salt.
• Using a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
• Place a slice of bread into mixture and turn the bread over to absorb milk mixture on both sides.
• Cook two pieces of french bread slices at a time until golden brown on each side.
• Continue cooking the rest of the bread in a tablespoon of melted butter each time.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar or pour syrup over french bread before serving.

PAIN PERDU - LOST BREAD, A.K.A. FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Beat eggs very well, add sugar and beat again. Add cornstarch in water and beat that in, then add milk and nutmeg. Coat bread thoroughly in egg-milk mixture. Lightly butter hot pan with butter nested in paper towels. Add bread to the pan and cook slowly, 3 or 4 minutes on each side, 2 to 3 slices at a time. Serve hot with your favorite toppings or Three Berry Compote.
• Combine sugar, lemon and water in a small sauce pot. Over moderate heat, dissolve sugar into water. Stir in fruit, coating it in sugar water and bring the fruit and water to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 7 or 8 minutes. Remove fruit with a slotted spoon to a serving dish and add maple syrup or honey to the pan. Thicken syrup 5 minutes and pour over fruit. Serve with French toast, pancakes or waffles.

PAIN PERDU: NEW ORLEANS STYLE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 F. Generously butter a large baking sheet.
• If desired, remove the crusts from bread slices and discard them or reserve them for another use. Set the bread aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs with salt, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Pour into a flat-bottomed dish large enough to accommodate a few slices of the bread.
• Place the bread slices into the dish to soak up some of the egg mixture, a few at a time. Turn with a spatula and let them soak on the other side, but not too long, or they will be too saturated and difficult to turn. Gently remove the soaked bread slices to the buttered baking sheet and continue with the remaining bread slices. Spoon any remaining egg mixture over the slices.
• Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake the pain perdu for 15 to 20 minutes, turning after the first 10 minutes to brown on both sides.
• Serve immediately with melted butter and your favorite honey or syrup.

PAIN PERDU WITH POACHED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Stir 2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and star anise in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Add orange liqueur. Simmer until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add apricots and cook until apricots soften, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and keep warm. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before using.)
• Whisk milk and eggs in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Add bread in single layer. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes per side.
• Cook 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until butter begins to foam. Add 3 bread slices to skillet and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to warm platter. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 3 bread slices.
• Divide pain perdu among 6 plates. Spoon warm apricots and syrup over, discarding star anise. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

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"): NEW ORLEANS-STYLE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine the half-and-half or milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Soak the slices of stale French bread in the custard mixture until they're thorougly soaked. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add the oil. When the butter and oil mixture is very hot, fry the soaked bread slices one or two at a time on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and hold in a warm oven until all the slices are cooked. To serve, Sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar mixture just before serving. Serve with Louisiana cane syrup, a strongly-flavored honey or any good syrup of your choice (real maple or fruit syrups are lovely too, but avoid that artificially-flavored pancake syrup).

NEW ORLEANS STYLE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and allspice. Soak bread slices in custard mixture for at least 30 minutes or til completely saturated.
• 2. Melt a few tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bread in batches and lightly brown, about 2 minutes per side. Don't cook too dark, as additional browning will occur in oven.
• 3. Transfer to lightly buttered, foil lined baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove and turn each slice over. Put back in oven for another 10 to 15 minutes or til browned and the bread springs back when tested with a finger. Serve at once. Face: The thrifty French, who pride themselves on the short life of their bread, are believed to have invented French toast as a way of using up bread that is no longer fresh. The french name for this tasty morsel is pain perdu, or "lost bread."