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.