French Toast Amandine

French Toast Amandine

from cooking.nytimes.com

My children came up with this recipe on the morning after we worked together on a dinner of weakfish amandine, the fillets sautéed in brown butter and scattered with almonds. They asked: “Couldn’t we do something similar with French toast? And make it, like, sweet?” We certainly could, and we did: a simple breakfast fry-up made elegant and well groomed. Fry the slices up in good butter, and serve them with maple syrup or a slash of jam. Pile everything in the sink afterward and boogie; you can clean up later. Breakfast in America.

Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs
  • ½ cup whole milk, cream or half and half
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 loaf thick-sliced brioche, challah or country bread
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ideally clarified or high-fat.

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 200. Whisk together eggs, milk (or cream or half and half), sugar, salt and vanilla extract.

  2. 2

    Lay bread in a baking pan, and pour egg mixture over top. Let sit 3 minutes, then turn slices over, making sure egg mixture has covered slices, with no dry spots

  3. 3

    Spread sliced almonds on a baking sheet, and put soaked bread slices on top. Press to adhere, then turn and repeat on other side; sprinkle with almond slices as needed. One side will be more crusted; cook that side first (and serve facing up).

  4. 4

    Put some of the butter into a skillet placed over medium-high heat; when it’s hot, add bread slices in batches, cooking until they’re golden brown and crisp, a few minutes per side. Transfer finished toasts to a platter, and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and bread.

  5. 5

    Serve finished toasts with fruit compote, maple syrup or (and!) a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.