Email to Cat      

French Toast Egg-in-a-Hole

Source of Recipe

From "Cook With Me" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"The title of this dish makes me dream of two delicious breakfast classics: warm French toast and perfectly runny fried eggs. Visually, it's about seeing that beautiful yolk peeking out from the browned and slightly sweet French toast. The French toast has to be cooked a little longer because the multigrain bread is dense. The two mistakes we often make with French toast are not soaking it enough in the egg mix and, quite simply, not cooking it enough. Take your time with this recipe, because great French toast requires some patience. There is a tasty push/pull between savory (mustard) and sweet (maple syrup) here, so go light on the syrup."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 large eggs
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
â—¦ 3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup
â—¦ ¾ cup whole milk
â—¦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦ 4 (½- to ¾-inch-thick) slices multigrain bread
â—¦ 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 4 large eggs
â—¦ Maldon salt


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 300° F.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, mustard, ginger, 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup, the milk, and the kosher salt until smooth. Place the bread slices on a flat surface and use a 2-inch round cookie cutter, or a small glass turned upside down, to punch a hole in the center of each slice. Soak both sides of each slice in the egg mixture so they absorb the liquid but don't become overly soggy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Heat two medium skillets over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in each one. When the butter begins to foam and brown slightly, arrange two slices of the bread in each pan. Cook on the first side until the slices brown on the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the slices over and cook on the other side until they brown on the edges, another 3 to 5 minutes. Place the French toast on a sheet pan, tent it loosely with foil, and keep it warm in the oven.

Use a paper towel to wipe out the two skillets. Set them over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter in each one. Fry 2 eggs sunny-side up in each skillet, until the whites are no longer translucent and the yolks hold their shape but still appear runny, 2 to 3 minutes.

Drizzle the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup over the French toast. Place a fried egg in the center of each plate and set a piece of toast carefully on top of the egg so the yolk peeks out through the hole in the toast. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and serve right away.

Serves 4