It amuses me, in a somewhat subtle and sadistic way, when a country boasts about a recipe as if it were its own, only to discover that it isn’t at all. Fried bread is one of those recipes that everyone mistakenly believes to be French, but both Apicius and Maestro Martino da Como mention it in their books. Therefore, both the Romans and medieval Italians ate this recipe so commonly that they included it in cookbooks.
In the winter, Grandma Irene often made me this humble yet clever dessert as a snack. I loved its greasy sweetness and the crunchiness of its crust.
Grandma Irene's Pain Perdu
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- For 6 servings
- Difficulty: Easy recipe
- Ingredients
- 100 grams of milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 50 grams of sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 slices of stale bread
- 2 knobs of butter
- Cinnamon or powdered sugar to taste
- Instructions
- In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar. Add the warm milk. Dip the bread in it.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Cook the bread slices for a few minutes on one side, then flip them over and cook them on the other side until golden brown.
- Serve with powdered sugar or cinnamon, fresh fruit or jam, and, if you want something extra, a drizzle of whipped cream.
Tips to ensure the success of the dish:
- An alternative is to place the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about ten minutes, with a 5-minute grill.
- It can be made with either loaf or sandwich bread.
Granny Irene with Piero
