I was having breakfast at a cafe one morning when I heard the little girl seated at a nearby table ask her mother: “Is French toast from France, Mummy?” That got me thinking...is it? There are no clear evidence to suggest its origins. One theory says that the French toast was actually called ‘German toast’ in North America and England prior to World War 1, but it was changed to ‘French toast’ due to anti-German sentiments. Yet another theory says that the French toast is named so because it is made based on a French dish, pain perdu or ‘lost bread’. It is a French way of salvaging old bread by dipping them in a mixture and frying them to make them more appealing and avoid wastage. That’s quite close to the French toast we know today.
Today’s dish consists of wholemeal bread dipped in egg and milk batter, then fried in shallow oil till it reaches a golden-brown perfection. This delicious breakfast food also goes by the name ‘eggy bread’ in the UK, and they are usually offered with a variety of toppings, ranging from sweet to savoury ones. The addition of Maple syrup to this dish complements well with the savoury egg batter. Pure maple syrup (unrefined sugar) is extremely good for you as it contains manganese and zinc which are both antioxidants important to build up your immune system. So if you're feeling woozy, pick up a spoonful or two of maple syrup and eat it. Not only is it a better alternative to satisfy your sweet cravings but its beneficial to your health.
For the perfect French toast, I believe there are 2 rules to adhere to-use old bread and fry with shallow oil on low heat. Moisture content in old bread is lower than of fresh bread, so dipping it in egg and milk batter allows the bread to soak up all the egg and milk goodness to replace its moisture lost over time. Going on to the second rule-shallow oil and medium heat. This way the bread doesn’t soak up too much oil during the frying process, and it also ensures that they are uniformly cooked from the edges to the centre.
Once you’ve fried the bread to that desired golden hue, drizzle over some maple syrup, and you have one absolutely delicious breakfast on your table.
Prep time: < 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 2
4 slices of old wholemeal bread, ensure you do not use old bread with mould!
1 chicken egg
1/2 cup fresh full cream milk
dash of salt
pinch of cinnamon (can omit if you want to)
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
1. Beat egg and milk together until they are evenly mixed. Add pinch of salt and cinnamon. Dip slices of bread into the egg and milk batter, ensure you thoroughly soak it
2. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in pan over medium heat. Drop a little batter into the hot oil, if it immediately bubbles then the oil is ready
3. Gently add 2 slices of soaked bread into the oil and fry until you reach a golden brown hue on both sides
4. Repeat procedure for remaining 2 slices of bread
5. Place pieces of fried bread on absorbent paper before serving
6. Drizzle with maple syrup just before serving
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