Savory French toast - ingredients and technique?

Had an idea to do savory French toast instead of sweet.
Will omit sugar from the egg-milk soaking liquid, and make as usual.
Planning on using sauteed spring onions, melted old cheddar and maybe some chile powder.
Will garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro.
Other ideas? Experience on technique (e.g. should I fry the toast, onions and cheddar all together or separately, and then combine?).

Nancy
  • Posted by: Nancy
  • July 12, 2016
  • 3076 views
  • 8 Comments

8 Comments

Nancy July 15, 2016
Wow! What great suggestions!
I'm going to work through them all because they sound so tasty.
Probably first use the pepper one on this site and then the Leah Koenig one with za'atar butter and tomatoes.
 
QueenSashy July 13, 2016
It is really funny -- I grew up eating savory French toast only, and did not realize that it is supposed to be the other way until I came to the US. The basic technique we used is: stale white bread, dip in milk, then in egg batter and fry/saute in sunflower oil. (I like sunflower oil better than butter because at the end it makes for less of a heavy taste.) Serve with: a) nothing but a sprinkle of salt, b) green pea mash, c) radishes, d) "herb-ed" cream cheese, e) scallion and feta dip.
 
Ali W. July 13, 2016
Leah Koenig has an excellent recipe on her cookbook, Modern Jewish Cooking, for a savory french toast with zaatar butter and tomatoes. You basically make a compound butter with zaatar and fry the french toast with that butter, and then also fry some tomato slices to add them to the finished toast
 
Asha L. July 13, 2016
I love savory French toast! One of my go-to combinations is adding a little chopped rosemary or thyme to the egg custard and topping it with roasted mushrooms and whatever cheese I have on hand (gruyere, crumbled goat cheese, etc).
 
PHIL July 13, 2016
I have never tried savory french toast but I but now you have my mind racing for ideas. Hmmm...... cacio e pepe French toast? use semi de sesamo bread, black pepper , chili flakes, and Parmesan in the egg batter , sauteed brocolli rabe & a sliced tomato on top? Or..... how about some gruyere cheese grated into the egg mixture, spread some onion jam on top? I guess I will be making some too this weekend.
 
caninechef July 13, 2016
There is a salt and pepper French toast on this site you can look up.
 
Nancy July 13, 2016
Thanks, both, for ideas. I looked on hotline but forgot to look at recipes.
 
Coco E. July 13, 2016
Make a stuffed French toast. Put the lovely sautéed filling between two slices of bread then dip the sandwich in the soaking liquid, then fry it up as usual!
 
Recommended by Food52