French Toast BLT

 

After the rousing success I had with the Beef Burgers with Bourbon Mushrooms, I thought I would try my hand at another recipe from that same 2016 issue of Sauce Magazine, namely, the BLT French Toast. I’m not going to lie to you, this did not sound good. I think I was more intrigued with the process, the fact that there was bourbon in the egg mixture, and that this was a savory dish involving French toast. As it turned out, I thought it was excellent, and something likely to be served at a high-end restaurant. I did not expect to taste the bourbon in the bread slices, but I did, and that really enhanced this knife and fork sandwich. It’s not difficult to make, but it takes some time due to the waiting in making the savory French toast. The garlic vinaigrette was a wonderful surprise, and I found myself really enjoying this restaurant quality sandwich that, I’m warning you, is big enough for two.

 Here is the recipe as printed. I cut it back by three.

French Toast BLT

5 eggs

2 c. heavy cream

¼ c. bourbon

6 1-inch slices challah

12 strips thick-cut bacon

2½ c. grated Gruyere

12 tomato slices* (about 3 small tomatoes)

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

3 c. spring mix

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

 In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream and bourbon until well combined. Pour in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the challah and soak 10 minutes. Flip the slices and soak an additional 10 minutes.

 Meanwhile, place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until just crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Spoon off most of the bacon fat from the skillet.

 Add 3 challah slices and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining slices.

 Bake the bread slices until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Top with the grated cheese and bake until the cheese melts, about 4 minutes.

 To assemble, place 2 strips of bacon and 2 tomato slices each on 3 challah slices and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Toss the spring mix with enough of the vinaigrette to coat. Divide the greens evenly over the 3 prepared challah slices and top with the remaining 3 slices. Serve warm.

 Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

2 heads of garlic

¾ c. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 T. sherry vinegar

1 T. Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

 Slice off the tops of the garlic so the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic heads in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and roast until the garlic is golden brown, fragrant and softened, 20 to 25 minutes.

 Let the garlic cool, then squeeze the cloves into a blender, discarding the skins. Add the vinegar and mustard, and blend until smooth. With the machine running, add ¾ cup olive oil in a steady stream until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*I used one large slice from a red Melissa's Produce Heirloom Tomato.

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