Pain Perdu With Dried And Fresh Strawberries Recipe - Cooking Index
Pain Perdu With Dried And Fresh Strawberries Recipe - Cooking Index
| Dried Strawberries | ||
| 15 | Strawberries - not too soft (large) | |
| 3/4 cup | 148g / 5.2oz | Granulated sugar |
| Fresh Strawberry Topping | ||
| 3 | Fresh strawberries - hulled, and | |
| Cut into fourths | ||
| 1/2 cup | 99g / 3.5oz | Sugar - plus |
| 1 tablespoon | 15ml | Sugar |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | 7.5ml | Balsamic vinegar |
| Custard | ||
| 1 | Egg | |
| 1/2 cup | 118ml | Milk |
| 3 tablespoons | 45ml | Honey |
| 1 | Vanilla bean - halved lengthwise | |
| 1 | Cinnamon stick | |
| = (or 1/8 tspn ground cinnamon) | ||
| Zest of 1 orange | ||
| Assembly | ||
| Custard - (listed above) | ||
| 6 | Brioche or egg bread (challah), 3/4" thk | |
| 1 cup | 198g / 7oz | Powdered sugar - (to 1 1/2) |
| 6 tablespoons | 90ml | Clarified butter - divided |
| Fresh Strawberry Topping - (listed above) | ||
| Maple syrup - as needed | ||
| Vanilla ice cream - (optional) | ||
| Dried Strawberries - (listed above) |
For the Dried Strawberries: Hull the strawberries and slice them, vertically, about one-eighth-inch thick. Heat the convection oven to 200 degrees and set the convection fan to high, or set the fruit dehydrator according to the manufacturer's instructions. Line a baking pan with plastic wrap, folding it around the sides of the pan to secure it firmly. If you are using a fruit dehydrator, the baking pan and plastic are not necessary.
Arrange the slices on the plastic wrap or screen. They must overlap each other by at least one-fourth inch because this prevents the small slices from shriveling up or drying too much. There will be small gaps between the pieces, but there should be no spaces larger than about one-fourth inch in the layer of fruit. Generously sprinkle the slices with the granulated sugar. Once dried, the fruit can be removed from the plastic in individual pieces or in small sections to create a decorative pattern.
Dry the fruit for 7 to 8 hours. Check a few times during the drying process; if the fruit appears to be coloring, reduce the oven heat to 150 degrees. When the fruit is done, it will no longer be watery; it will be slightly sticky and not brittle, and it should peel away in a solid layer from the plastic or screen.
For the Fresh Strawberry Topping: In a large bowl, sprinkle the fruit with the sugar, add the balsamic vinegar and gently mix together, using your hands so as not to damage the berries. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to macerate at least two hours before serving.
For the Custard: In a small bowl, whisk the egg to break it up. Add the milk, honey, vanilla bean, cinnamon and orange zest. Set aside to infuse for 1 hour.
For Assembly: Pour the custard into a shallow baking dish. Lightly dip one side of the bread into the custard, flip and dip the other side. (It is preferable to dip one half at a time; when the entire slice is dunked, the bread gets too soggy.) Gently squeeze the bread to remove any excess custard. Place on a plate and continue with the remaining five slices of bread.
Sift half the powdered sugar over the surface of the custard-dipped bread. The powdered sugar should lightly cover the entire surface of the bread. Each slice will use 2 to 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar.
Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter. Place two pieces of bread, sugar-side down, into the pan. Cook until the bread is caramelized to a dark golden brown. The flame may need to be reduced if the bread browns too quickly. The bread may also need to be moved around in the pan if there are hot spots.
While the bread is caramelizing, sift powdered sugar over the top side. Once the first side has caramelized, add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. Swirl to coat the pan and flip the bread. Caramelize until dark golden brown. Use a spatula to remove the bread from the pan and place it on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
Use tongs and paper towels to remove all the residual butter and sugar from the pan. Allow the pan to warm again and continue with the remaining bread. Pain perdu can be made up to three hours in advance. Just before serving, warm the slices in a 400-degree oven for about 7 to 10 minutes. If you are serving immediately, bake the slices to cook the custard in the center of the bread, about 4 to 6 minutes.
To serve, place one slice of pain perdu on each plate and spoon fresh strawberry topping over. Drizzle with maple syrup and, if desired, a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Garnish with dried strawberries.
This recipe yields 6 servings.
Each serving: 677 calories; 8 grams protein; 124 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 18 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 100 mg. cholesterol; 303 mg. sodium.
Source:
The Los Angeles Times, 06-02-2004
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