The secret to my Little Owl French toast starts with an excellent brioche bread. Truly, no other bread will give you that rich, knock-your-socks-off, decadent pastry taste than a brioche loaf (I get mine from Amy’s Bread in Manhattan—they make the best!). The high egg and butter content of brioche make this French toast taste like dessert, and regulars at Little Owl often share one after a meal for a sweet finish. However, if you are unable to get your hands on a fresh baked brioche loaf, don’t despair! Store-bought packaged brioche buns or rolls also work great. Note that a slightly stale brioche works best for this recipe. And since you won’t be using an entire loaf for this recipe, you can preslice any remaining brioche and store the slices for up to 1 week in your freezer for later use.
SERVES 4
Stewed Strawberries
2 cups [280 g] strawberries, stemmed, hulled, and quartered
1/4 cup [50 g] sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
French Toast
6 egg yolks (reserve the whites for an egg wash, omelet, or meringue)
2 cups [480 ml] whole milk
11/2 cups [360 ml] heavy cream
1/3 cup [65 g] sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, for cooking
Brioche loaf, cut into eight 3/4 in [2 cm] thick slices, or 4 store-bought brioche rolls, split in half
To make the strawberries: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks. Cook until the strawberries release their juices and soften, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks before serving.
To make the French toast: In a large, shallow bowl, combine the egg yolks, milk, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Preheat an electric griddle to 350°F [180°C] or a cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp of the butter, letting it melt to coat the griddle.
Working one at a time, dip the brioche slices in the egg mixture, coating each side. Stay awake, sleepyhead! Brioche is very soft and will soak up the mixture right away—in less than 30 seconds. Immediately transfer a soaked slice to the hot griddle and cook until the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to flip and cook 2 minutes more, until the flipped side is golden brown, too. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter, letting it melt to recoat the griddle and repeat the process with the remaining slices, dipping and then cooking as many slices at once that will fit comfortably on your griddle. Distribute the cooked slices among four plates and generously spoon the stewed strawberries on top. Serve immediately.