One of the best times to entertain is on a weekend morning. Serving brunch gives you, the host, plenty of time to prepare a meal after you’ve had your first cup of coffee or tea, while you’re still fresh and can’t possibly feel that the day has gotten away from you.
French toast is a great brunch choice. It makes a festive impression, most everyone loves to eat it and it takes only minutes to put together.
With very little extra effort, you can turn it into something that will really wow your guests. I like to coat my French toast with chopped nuts, which add extra flavor and texture.
To make sure that the nut coating browns nicely without burning, I saute the French toast pieces in a frying pan only briefly; then I transfer them to a baking dish to finish cooking in the oven.
Here’s a serving variation for cooks who want to get a little more adventurous: Start with slightly thicker bread slices, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Before soaking the bread slices in egg or coating them with nuts, cut each thick slice diagonally in half. Then, with a small, sharp serrated knife, cut a small slit into the cut edge of each half, and pivot the blade back and forth a little to form a pocket inside. With a small teaspoon, spoon about 1 tablespoon of apricot jam inside each pocket. (Orange marmalade works well too.) After soaking the bread, gently pinch the pocket opening closed before coating with nuts.
When your guests cut into their servings, they’ll be surprised and delighted — a perfect effect for the festive season.
Pistachio-crusted French toast
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups shelled pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 slices good-quality white bread, brioche or egg bread, about 1-inch thick, halved diagonally
Confectioners’ sugar, apricot jam or maple syrup
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and nutmeg in a large, wide bowl. Spread the chopped pistachio nuts on a large platter or tray.
2. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter; heat until foamy. Meanwhile, dip bread slices, one at a time, into the egg mixture, turning to saturate. Carefully dip the slices into the chopped pistachios, coating them evenly on both sides. Transfer to the skillet, in batches; do not crowd. Cook until lightly browned on each side, 1-2 minutes per side, adding more of the butter, if needed. Transfer to 1 or 2 buttered baking dishes large enough to hold the bread slices in a single layer.
3. Bake until the French toast is golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Arrange the French toast on plates. Spoon confectioners’ sugar into fine-meshed strainer; tap and lightly dust the French toast. Serve hot with apricot jam or maple syrup.
Nutrition information per serving:
788 calories, 52% of calories from fat, 47 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 277 mg cholesterol, 65 g carbohydrates, 32 g protein, 919 mg sodium, 8 g fiber
