Torrijas with orange and honey syrup

As is the tradition during Lent and Easter, we invite you to prepare French toast, this sweet that, although it has its origins in the need to take advantage of leftover bread from several days, is so delicious that it has become a dessert or snack of the most desired. Carmen, author of Yerbabuena in the kitchen, brings us the recipe with a slightly different touch: instead of sugar or honey, she sweetens them with a delicious orange and honey syrup. Happy Easter!

If there is a recipe from our most traditional cuisine for which I have a special affection, it is undoubtedly French toast. I remember how since I was a child, year after year when Holy Week arrived, my mother and I would prepare an endless number of them, both milk and wine. The house was flooded with that wonderful smell of sugar, milk, cinnamon, etc., intoxicating every corner, under the watchful eyes of my brothers, who impatiently awaited permission or the mistake of mom to be able to sink their teeth into them.

Although this is the traditional recipe that has always been in my house, this time I have replaced the sugar and cinnamon sprinkled at the end, with a light orange and honey syrup... a delicious proposal that my aunt prepares and that coming from an exceptional Cook like her, you will surely love it.

But following the tradition, in the preparation of these French toast I could not resist using materials as noble as iron and copper, both excellent conductors of heat and ideal for quick cooking. And what better than my adorable Skillet frying pan from Le Creuset and my charming De Buyer saucepan to keep these types of recipes alive?

I wish you a very happy Easter, I hope you enjoy according to your tastes, but before I leave you some last tips to get some delicious Torrijas:

• To largely avoid burnt remains in the oil, spread the beaten egg with a silicone brush before frying the French toast instead of coating it.
• Every two batches of French toast, we put absorbent paper in a strainer, filter the oil and clean the pan with another bit of paper to remove undesirable impurities. You can also use an oil collector if you have one.
• Fry in plenty of very hot olive oil for just 30 seconds on each side, in this way the French toast will be sealed and the milk will hardly come out.
• Never overload the pan to prevent the temperature from dropping.
• Between batches, add a little more oil if necessary.
• You can use the honey that you like the most.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of French toast
• 1 liter of milk
• 170g sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• A piece of orange peel
• The skin of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 200ml squeezed orange juice
• 2 eggs
• mild olive oil

Elaboration

1. In a saucepan we put the milk with the sugar, the cinnamon stick, a piece of orange peel and a lemon peel, reserving a little of this to flavor the oil where we will fry the French toast and bring to the fire. When it starts to boil, remove the saucepan and let it cool.
2. Meanwhile, we cut the loaf of bread -preferably special for French toast- into slices two centimeters thick.
3. Once cold, strain the milk and submerge the French toast in it until they have absorbed enough liquid. Remove to a wire rack to drain the excess.
4. In a pan (for frying, preferably iron), we put plenty of soft olive oil with the reserved piece of lemon peel. We beat the eggs and brush the French toast with them, in this way we will ensure that there are fewer burnt remains in the oil and that the French toast stays cleaner.
5. When the oil begins to smoke, we put the French toast in it, without ever overloading the pan to avoid lowering the temperature, so we will get the French toast to seal and the milk does not come out. Fry over high heat for 30 seconds on each side. Remove with the help of a pair of tongs or a spatula and place on absorbent paper.

Le Creuset skillet , Le Creuset skimmer , De Buyer copper saucepan and Le Creuset ramekins

We put the honey in a saucepan and bring it closer to the fire so that it can be better diluted. Then add the orange juice and stir. It is not necessary to cook, we just have the juice on the fire until the honey dissolves. Remove and let cool.

Once the honey and orange syrup is warm, pour over the French toast that we will have previously placed on a tray. Store in the refrigerator and serve cold.