Pain Perdu with caramelized apples

Pain Perdu, also known as “french toast,” is a classic of French cuisine that can take on an Italian twist with the addition of “tatin”-style caramelized apples. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

For the Pain Perdu:

• 4 slices of stale bread (preferably brioche or panettone)
• 2 large eggs
• 100 ml of milk
• 30 g of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• A pinch of cinnamon powder (optional)
• Butter or seed oil for cooking

For the Caramelized Apples:

• 2 large apples, such as Golden Delicious or Fuji, peeled and cut into cubes
• 40 g of butter
• 50 g of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• A pinch of salt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation

Pain Perdu:

1. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until you have a homogeneous mixture.
2. Soak the bread slices in the mixture, allowing them to absorb well the liquid on both sides.
3. In a non-stick pan, melt some butter or heat up a bit of seed oil over medium heat.
4. Fry the soaked bread slices until they turn golden brown on both sides.

Caramelized Apples:

1. In a pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.
2. Add the diced apples and lemon juice, mixing well.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Once both the pain perdu and apples are ready, arrange the sweet slices on a plate and top each with a spoonful of warm caramelized apples.

Curiosity

Pain perdu originated as a tasty and waste-minimizing way to use up stale bread. The version with caramelized apples adds a sweet autumnal note to this dish, turning it into a dessert or a rich and satisfying breakfast. In Italy, you might find it called “fette dorata” or “frittelle di pane”.