Perfecting French toast

French toast is one of my favourite go-to breakfasts on Sunday mornings. I almost always have stale bread on hand, and I've made it so many times that I barely feel the need to measure out the other ingredients. A little beaten egg and milk for dipping the bread in, some sprinkles of cinnamon and vanilla, a spoonful of butter for cooking in, and that's it! Couldn't be easier.



But I admit, sometimes my French toast goes off the rails - a bit soggy perhaps, or tasting too much of the egg it was cooked in. So when I saw an article in the Feb. 2009 issue of Cook's Illustrated about making better French toast, my interest was piqued.

Among their suggestions, which they arrived at after extensive trial and error (the main reason I love C.I. - they do the testing so you don't have to): oven drying the bread for a few minutes before soaking in the egg and milk to prevent sogginess, eliminating the egg whites and only using the yolks, and soaking the bread in a flat baking dish for a mere 20 seconds per side to ensure that the slices are saturated just enough.



I tried their recipe, using stale sourdough bread, and I have to confess, the extra time required is worth it. My French toast was buttery, and mildly spiced with cinnamon, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. With a drizzling of Quebec maple syrup, it was heaven on a plate.

French Toast

8 large slices hearty white sandwich bread or good quality challah
1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
3 large egg yolks
3 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tbsp for cooking
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Maple syrup

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 300F. Place bread slices on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dry throughout (center should remain slightly moist), about 16 minutes, flipping slices halfway through cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5 minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven and reduce temperature to 200F.

Whisk milk, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tbsp melted butter, salt and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Transfer mixture to 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

Soak bread in milk mixture until saturated but not falling apart, 20 seconds per side. Using slotted spatula pick up bread slice and allow excess milk mixture to drip off, repeat with remaining slices. Place soaked bread on another baking sheet or platter.

Heat 1/2 tbsp butter in 12 inch skillet over medium-low heat. When foaming subsides, use slotted spatula to transfer 2 slices soaked bread to skillet and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper towel. Repeat with remaining bread, 2 pieces at a time, adding 1/2 tbsp butter for each batch.

Serve warm with maple syrup.

Serves 4

Courtesy Cook's Illustrated, Feb. 2009

Salut!

Suzanne

Questions, comments? Email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com.

Sunday Brunch at The Lakeview

Torontonians love their brunch and I'm no exception. But with the holiday craziness in December, and settling into the New Year, it had been weeks since I'd been out for one. So when my friend Olga suggested earlier in the week that a bunch of us get together for Sunday brunch this weekend, I needed no convincing.

Our initial plan was to meet at The Dakota Tavern for their Sunday Bluegrass Brunch, but arriving shortly after 11am we found it packed to the rafters, with an hour's wait before a table would be available. So, we headed around the corner to The Lakeview, formerly Lakeview Lunch, at the corner of Ossington Ave. and Dundas St. West.



I'd been to Lakeview Lunch with another friend years ago - and I remembered that though the seating was a bit cramped, my brekkie, Eggs Florentine, was lovely. Well the new owners have done a bang-up job in reno'ing the Lakeview. Happily, they kept the diner feel of the original, which had been around since 1932, but freshened everything up. White wallpapered walls, spacious, comfortable new booths, Art Deco touches here and there.



And though our food took a while to arrive, we were in no rush, happily chatting away over our coffees. When it did come, everyone seemed pleased with their order - from the smoked salmon Eggs Benedict, to 'The Standard' poached eggs and peameal, to my French toast, which came stuffed with lemon ricotta and Canadian maple syrup on the side.



So, though we may not have had banjo music accompanying our breakfast, The Lakeview was a fine substitute indeed.

The Lakeview
1132 Dundas St. West, at the corner of Ossington Ave.

Salut!

Suzanne