Looking for a really special Father’s Day brunch recipe? Whether you need something decadent just for him and your own little brood, or for a crowd—that can be set-up in advance, this is the one.
Honestly? This is the most amazing brunch dish I’ve had in a long, long time.
A friend spied it being workshopped on Tyler Florence’s Instagram feed a while back, and we’ve since made it for Christmas and Mother’s Day. With some eggs and bacon on the side, it would make the perfect Father’s Day dish.
As with any truly amazing french toast, the key is using ample eggs to soak the bread, which makes it rich and delicious. The egg custard will give you just the right balance between soft and crispy.
French Toast Roast with Caramelized Bananas
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence
1 Loaf Brioche (best if day-old), trimmed to be crust-less
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
Custard:
7 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cups cream
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Banana topping:
3 large bananas
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 cups chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*Note: I like to prep the bread and custard the night before and let it soak. You can also premake the banana topping and warm when needed.
Custard:
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Add the sugar, cream, milk, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer the mixture to a squeeze bottle (or keep handy for using a baster or injector) to inject it evenly into and throughout the loaf.
French toast roast:
Inject the egg custard mix into the trimmed brioche and let sit. When the bread has finished soaking—at least 30 minutes, but optionally overnight in the refridgerator—melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle one side of the soaked brioche with sugar and carefully place it sugar side down, into the pan. Sear the loaf until it is golden brown, sprinkle the more sugar on the uncooked sides and sear those sides as well. Transfer the loaf to a baking sheet to finish it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
*Note: The searing step can be skipped if needed—just paint the loaf with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and add time in the oven until the center of the loaf registers around 170 degrees F.
The loaf can then be sliced (yes, like a tenderloin!), and served with this incredible caramelized banana topping—or simply with a bottle of warm, pure maple syrup.
Banana Topping:
While the bread is cooking, peel and slice the bananas 1/2-inch thick. In the nonstick pan, melted the butter, then add the pecans, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.
Make it complete: Serve with a side of soft, creamy, perfect scrambled eggs. Add thick bacon, hot coffee, fresh orange juice, and maybe a bottle of champagne.
And because there are so many eggs in this dish, there’s plenty of protein to sustain everyone for the rest of the day’s activities! (Surely you have something fun planned.)
P.S. A Father’s Day Gift Guide.
This post is sponsored by the American Egg Board, with whose support I’ll be sharing some of my favorite ways to prepare eggs.
Since 2009, the Good Egg Project and America’s egg farmers have partnered with quality organizations such as Sesame Street, Discovery Health and Feeding America to help educate Americans on the farm to table process. America’s egg farmers are committed to doing what’s right for their hens, the environment and their communities. They are proud to provide Americans with affordable and nutritious food.
Visit IncredibleEgg.org/GoodEggProject to learn about egg farmers’ products, family-owned and operated businesses, and the carefully developed practices for delivering the safest, most nutritious, great-tasting, wholesome eggs to America’s breakfast tables.
7 Comments