Savory french toast has, until now, been entirely missing in my life. This dish, loosely adapted from a "recipe" for candied, spiced mixed nuts, sounds like Chai and tastes like brunch. It's savory enough to be a dinner entree, which is how we ate it–plated with two types of breakfast meat and a dark, roasty vegetable hash, it was breakfast for dinner in the best way–but the addition of a fried egg and some honey would keep this firmly in breakfast territory.
The spice amounts in this recipe are suggestions. You can go up or down, or omit or add other spices from these families, as your heart desires and your pantry allows. The coconut milk and turmeric are what make this truly special.
The Recipe
2 eggs
1/2 c coconut milk
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
4 slices sourdough (from the widest part of the boule, or 6 slices sandwich bread), cut thick if possible
1 tbsp butter for frying, plus more if necessary
Begin preheating a skillet over medium heat.
Combine all ingredients except for butter and bread in a pie tin or 9x13 casserole dish. Whisk together until spices are incorporated and eggs are beaten.
Soak half the bread in the liquid for 4 minutes, then flip and soak 3 minutes more.
Add butter to skillet and wait for foaming to subside, if not using bacon fat.
Fry soaked bread on each side for about 3 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.
While first batch is frying, soak the next batch. Repeat the cooking process, adding more butter if necessary between batches.
Notes and Substitutions
You can use bacon fat or sausage grease instead of butter for even more savory decadence. Just start frying the meat a few minutes before you start soaking the bread.
This might also benefit from a pop of cayenne pepper, or a grate of fresh nutmeg.
A fried egg on the side and honey butter over the top would make this french toast an incredible brunch.
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