French Toast With Homemade Strawberry Syrup
This is the technique I've perfected for making French toast, honed through catering for over 1,000 people. It’s designed to hold up and taste delicious even in large quantities. In this video, I share my tried-and-true method from 20 years of experience in professional kitchens, ensuring every slice is perfectly flavorful and satisfying.
The Best You'll Ever Make
French Toast with Strawberry Syrup Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the french toast:
4 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 loaf of stale French bread, sliced on a bias
Clarified butter for cooking (see clarified butter recipe)
Strawberry Syrup:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
Fresh bananas, sliced
Powdered sugar for garnish
Equipment:
Heavy-bottom pan or griddle
Quarter sheet pan
Bowl
Whisk
Cheesecloth (for clarified butter)
Strainer
Method of Preparation:
1. Prepare the Bread:
Leave the French bread out overnight to become slightly stale.
2. Prepare the Custard:
Crack 4 eggs into a bowl and whisk.
Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and whisk until dissolved.
Add 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup light cream, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
Add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Zest 1 orange and add the zest to the mixture. Juice the orange and add the juice through a strainer. Whisk everything together.
3. Soak the Bread:
Slice the stale French bread on a bias.
Submerge each slice briefly in the custard mixture.
Arrange the soaked slices on a quarter sheet pan.
Pour the remaining custard over the bread slices, ensuring a shallow amount of liquid covers about a quarter inch of the bread height.
Place the pan in the refrigerator and let it sit uncovered overnight.
4. Cook the French Toast:
Heat clarified butter in a heavy-bottom pan or griddle over medium to medium-low heat.
Cook the soaked bread slices slowly to a golden brown on each side, adding more butter as needed.
Transfer cooked French toast to a paper towel or plate.
5. Prepare the Strawberry Syrup:
Place 1/4 pound of unsalted butter in a pot over the lowest possible heat setting.
Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar before the butter melts.
Zest the second orange and add it to the pot.
As the butter begins to melt, whisk the mixture until the butter is fully melted and the sugar is incorporated.
Add the halved strawberries and mash them slightly with the whisk.
Turn off the heat to prevent the sauce from breaking.
6. Plate the French Toast:
Reheat the French toast in the oven for a few minutes if necessary.
Arrange the French toast slices on a plate.
Ladle the homemade strawberry syrup over the French toast.
Garnish with sliced fresh bananas and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Tips:
Using stale bread helps it soak up more custard, resulting in better texture and flavor.
Soaking the bread overnight ensures the custard fully penetrates, providing a rich flavor.
Clarified butter prevents burning and allows for better control of cooking temperature.
Cook the French toast slowly on medium to medium-low heat to avoid burning the sugar in the custard.
The strawberry syrup should be prepared slowly to prevent the butter from separating.
