TORRIJAS CASTELLANAS (Spanish French toast, or what might happen if cinnamon toast and pan perdue created offspring, for four)

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

¼ cup ground cinnamon

¼ cup sugar

4 thick slices brioche or good quality bread (8 slices if loaf is small)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

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1.   Combine eggs, milk, cream and salt in a wide shallow bowl.  Combine the cinnamon and sugar on a plate.

2.   Soak a piece or two of bread in the egg mixture (do not crowd) while you put the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Turn the bread in the egg mixture so it soaks well; when the butter melts and its foam subsides, add the soaked bread, again without crowding.  (It’s likely that you’ll have to cook in 2 batches.)

3.   Brown the bread nicely on both sides, for a total of 6 to 10 minutes, then transfer each piece in turn to the cinnamon sugar mixture; turn to coat both sides evenly and serve hot.

from Jose Andres, a Washington D.C. based Spanish chef, printed in Mark Bittman’s The Best Recipes in the World.