Pain Perdu: New Orleans Style French Toast
Pain perdu–or lost bread–is a Cajun-style French toast; this version is made with a little vanilla, sugar, and thick slices of day-old bread.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing
- 8slices day-old bread
- 4large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1dash salt
- 2tablespoons sugar
- ½cup milk
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- For Serving:
- 8tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- Honey, to taste
- Syrup, to taste
Instructions
Step 1
Heat oven to 400 F. Generously butter a large baking sheet.Step 2
If desired, remove the crusts from bread slices and discard them or reserve them for another use. Set the bread aside.Step 3
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.Step 4
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.Step 5
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.Step 6
Serve immediately with melted butter and your favorite honey or syrup.