Torrijas (Spanish-Style French Toast)

Although variations on French toast abound, this torrijas recipe hails primarily from Spain, where the bread slices are first soaked in wine or milk and beaten eggs, then panfried until golden and finally dusted with cinnamon sugar or drizzled with honey. You’ll find many approaches to pain perdu (French for “lost bread”), all of which speak to an ancestral desire to turn a stale staple into edible comfort food. The use of Malaga or cream sherry (sweet wines from southern Spain) plants this recipe firmly in the Spanish camp. With its large surface area, the hot griddle enables you to cook it off in just one batch.

Makes 4 to 8 servings

8 (3⁄4-inch-thick) slices brioche, country-style white bread or baguette (if using the latter, slice it on the diagonal), preferably slightly stale (see Tip)

5 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1⁄2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (or more orange zest)

Arrange the bread slices in a single layer in a large baking dish or deep baking sheet.

Place the eggs, vanilla and all the zest in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half and wine. Pour this mixture over the bread slices, turning to coat both sides. Soak the bread until soft, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat your griddle to medium-high (400 degrees). If using a gas-fired griddle, set it to medium-high. If using a freestanding cast-iron griddle, plancha (a Spanish flattop), the flat side of a grill pan or a large cast-iron skillet, heat it on your stove over medium-high heat or over a direct fire on your grill. To check the temperature, shake a few drops of water onto the griddle. When properly heated, the water will evaporate in 1 to 2 seconds.

Impale half the butter on a fork, then rub it over the griddle to grease it. When the butter bubbles, gently transfer the bread to the griddle, leaving 1 inch or so between each slice. (You may need to cook in multiple batches.) Cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.

Melt the remaining butter between the bread slices. Flip them onto the buttered griddle and cook until the bottoms are browned, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the torrijas to a platter or plates. Dust with the cinnamon sugar and drizzle with honey, if desired.

Tip: Tradition calls for the bread to be a little stale (and is a good way to use up stale bread), but you’ll also get great results with fresh bread. 2 cups half-and-half

3⁄4 cup sweet wine, like Malaga or cream sherry (or more half-and-half)

⁄4 cup granulated sugar

3

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves

1

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, or as needed

Honey (optional), for drizzling