Spanish-style French toast, or torrijas, is basically French toast, bread pudding, and creme brulee all rolled into one, and it is nothing short of magical.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 orange, zested
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Steps
- Combine milk, white sugar, salt, orange zest, lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla in a saucepan, whisk, and bring to a simmer over medium-heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Strain milk through a mesh strainer and transfer 2 cups into a shallow dish in which to soak stale bread; set aside.
- Transfer remaining 2 cups infused milk into a saucepan to make the custard sauce; add yolks and whisk thoroughly. Return saucepan to medium-low heat, and cook, stirring with a spatula and scraping the bottom constantly, until the mixture gets hot and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat; immediately pour through a fine mesh strainer. Let cool and refrigerate until needed.
- Soak stale bread in milk, turning a few times, until most of milk is absorbed and bread is saturated. Remove to a pan or plate and refrigerate until needed.
- Beat whole eggs in a wide shallow bowl. Coat bread on both sides in the egg.
- Pour olive oil, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep into a nonstick skillet, and heat over medium heat. Fry soaked bread in the hot oil until browned and puffed, about 4 minutes per side. When fully cooked, the bread will spring back when touched in the center.
- Remove to a plate. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. Use a blowtorch with a low flame to brûlée the surface. Serve immediately with custard sauce.
