Pain Perdu with Berries

This is an old French recipe for using stale bread, meaning Lost Bread. “Lost” because the stale bread otherwise would be thrown away, or lost. It was originally a dessert, but it makes a deliciously decadent breakfast, lunch or dinner.This is the ultimate "French Toast" recipe~ it's my favorite.

I used the Brioche I wrote about the other day, you may also use Challah, or any other egg-rich bread.

This is Ina Garten's method, but I skipped the Grand Marnier and honey, instead

substituted frozen Marionberries for the Strawberries. Reserving the prettiest ones for garnish & cooked the remainder down with a little sugar until syrupy.

Pain Perdu

6 servings

1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier), divided

6 extra-large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk or half-and-half

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 large brioche loaf or challah

Unsalted butter

Vegetable oil 1/2 cup

(1 1/2 ounces) sliced blanched almonds, toasted

Confectioners' sugar, to serve

Combine the sliced strawberries, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the orange liqueur in a small bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, honey, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, the vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Slice the bread in 3/4-inch slices.

Pour the egg mixture into a large shallow plate and soak a few slices of bread for 4 minutes, turning once.

Heat 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat.

Take each slice of bread from the egg mixture, dip one side in the toasted almonds, and place in the saute pan, almond side down. (While you're cooking each batch, add more bread to the egg mixture to soak.)

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

Place the cooked bread on a baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven.

Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil, and continue to fry the remaining soaked bread until they're all cooked.

Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve hot with the strawberries.

Adapted from "Barefoot in Paris", by Ina Garten

It will spoil you for regular French Toast.