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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ABM Cheese Bread

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Yesterday I posted a recipe for tasty Italian soup. Today I am going to give you a recipe for something delicious to go with that soup, cheese bread. This bread is fabulous, and incredibly easy to make, thanks to the automatic bread machine. It’s delicious when warm, wonderful at room temperature, and absolutely superb when toasted to enjoy at breakfast the next day. It also makes a mean BLT.

ABM Cheese Bread
Adapted from Red Star Yeast

Bread:
1/2 c. buttermilk, warmed to 110° F
1/3 c. water, warmed up to about 110° F
5 T. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg, room temperature
3 c. bread flour
1 t. salt
¾ t. garlic powder
2 T. granulated sugar
1 packet (2¼ t.) yeast

Filling:
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Topping:
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or your favorite herb)
¼ t. garlic powder
10 cheese cubes, your choice of cheese

Place bread ingredients, in the order listed, into the bowl of the bread machine. Put the machine on the “dough” setting and press “start.” When the cycle has run its course, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Punch down. Roll the dough into a 9“ x 15“ rectangle. Sprinkle cheese all over the top, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Tightly (and I am talking TIGHTLY) roll the dough into a 15-inch log. Place the log seam side down on the work surface. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. Crisscross 1/2, cut side down on top of the other half, forming an “X.“ Tightly twist the two together. Pinch the outer edges to seal. Place in a greased loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam. Allow the covered loaf to rest for 30 minutes. It will rise slightly.

Place the oven rack in the bottom third of your oven and preheat to 350° F. Whisk the melted butter, herbs, and garlic powder together, and drizzle over the top of the dough. Shove cheese cubes into various splits on the surface of the loaf. Bake until golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes. If it begins browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing and serving.

BLT with Creole Mayonnaise

I know some of you have already been enjoying your tomato harvest, but where I live, red tomatoes don’t generally show themselves until July. My tomato plants are loaded with green tomatoes, only just now beginning to turn red. When they finally do, I am going to have a bumper crop!

I was so desperate for a BLT that I went to the local farmers market, and picked up a couple of Arkansas tomatoes so that I could dig into their juicy goodness. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this sandwich, particularly the way I make it, with a hefty dollop of Creole mayonnaise slathered onto the bread. If you’ve never tried this on your BLT, you are missing out. It is zippy, spicy, and delicious, but not so much so as to overpower the delicate fresh taste of your homegrown tomato, or smoky goodness of the bacon.

Here’s my recipe for Creole mayonnaise. It’s good on chicken sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, stirred into egg or chicken salad, pimiento cheese (I know, sacrilege!), even veggie sandwiches, but I think it’s at its absolute best on a BLT.

Creole Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1/4 tsp. Creole mustard
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

Blend all ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl, and store in the refrigerator for one hour to allow the flavors to meld before using. Will last in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.

PRINT RECIPE

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