Lekker Brekker Monday: Savoury French toast, aka eggy bread

Pain perdu. Lost bread. The name has a maudlin ring to it, a touch of pathos, as if we should be sad at the thought of it, and proffer empathy or at least sympathy. 

But it’s not a sad little slice (or two) of bread. It’s rather joyful in fact. And in January, when most of us are desperately trying to put the financial ship to rights and head into a better year (cross fingers, hold thumbs), this is one breakfast that takes a little a very long way.

Pain perdu, the French kind of “French toast”, is sweet. It contains sugar and can also be served with honey or maple syrup or, say, blueberry jam. It can be sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and is, to the more savoury palate, something of an anachronism. But if you think about it, eggs, cinnamon and sugar, and the like, are not really all that outlandish an idea. Take sweet pancakes, for instance.

Across the channel, meanwhile, the Brits aren’t much given to poncey French names for things. Or for calling a spade anything but what it is. So why call it sodding pain perdu when you could just call it what it actually is: eggy bread. And what the blazes is sugar doing in it? So let’s leave that out too.

Planning this recipe, I watched a range of videos. The best of them offered some wise advice, which I listened to. The overall objective is this: a “custardy” finish in which the bread has truly soaked up the egg (which contains some milk), rather than have the egg run out into the pan when you’re frying the bread.

And we’ve all experienced that, right?

I was quite astonished when I got it right first time, following one key piece of advice: put the beaten egg and milk in a jug, and slowly pour it onto the bread, rather than have the mixture in a container and dunking the bread in it. 

Second, cook the bread on a low heat and, if the egg does run into the pan, use two spatulas to push it back into the bread. It works.

For these, I placed a slice of bread in a flat container, poured egg on top, working it into the bread to “fill it up” as much as I could, then turned it over and repeated this on the other side. Then I placed slices of cheddar on top, added a second slice of bread, working the egg into the top, then flipping it and pouring more egg mixture on the other side.

Let’s give it a go…

Tony’s savoury French toast, or eggy bread

(Makes 4 sandwiches)

Ingredients

8 slices of white bread (I used ciabatta)

8 slices of Cheddar cheese, or enough to more or less cover a slice of bread (2 slices per sandwich)

4 to 6 eggs

Milk

Salt and back pepper

Butter

Method

Break 4 eggs into a jug (add one or two more later if the egg mixture is running out). Season with salt and pepper. Pour in a splash or two of full cream milk. Whisk.

Cut four slices of bread, fairly thick. Place one slice in a flat container.

Slowly pour the egg mixture over the top of the bread, immediately smoothing it with clean fingers to encourage the mixture to soak into  the bread thoroughly. Once some has been absorbed, pour a little more in the same way and work it in. The idea is to make the bread really sodden.

Turn that slice and repeat on the other side.

Place slices of Cheddar on top.

Place a second slice of bread on top, repeat the process of pouring egg mixture on top, turn and repeat on the other side.

Melt butter in a flat pan on a low heat.

Place a “sandwich” in the hot butter and cook slowly until one side is set, then turn and repeat on the other. If the egg is running out into the pan, use two spatulas to push it back against the bread, holding it there while the bread absorbs it.

Keep cooking until the outsides are golden. Turn as needed, carefully, using a spatula, to cook the other side.

Repeat with the remaining bread, cheese and egg mixture, until you have four eggy, cheesy fried sandwiches. If the last runs low, add another egg and a bit of milk, season a little more, whisk and proceed. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the year award, in 2021 and 2023

Order Tony’s book, foodSTUFF, here.

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.