Sweet
Torrijas — Spanish French toast
Day-old bread soaked in cinnamon milk, fried in olive oil and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Spain's Easter treat, and just amazingly perfect.
Stale bread is not a compromise here, it is the recipe. Fresh bread collapses; yesterday's drinks the milk and holds its shape.
Method
- 01
Warm the milk with the cinnamon stick, lemon zest and 80g sugar until steaming. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes, then strain.
- 02
Lay the bread slices in a shallow dish and pour over the warm milk. Soak 10–15 minutes, turning once, until saturated but not falling apart.
- 03
Lift out carefully and let excess milk drip away. Dip each slice in beaten egg.
- 04
Fry in 1cm of hot olive oil, 2 minutes a side, until deep golden and crisp at the edges.
- 05
Drain briefly, then roll in the cinnamon and remaining sugar while still hot.
- 06
Serve warm with honey trickled over, or cold from the fridge the next day.
Serve it with
Pairings
- Cheeses
- Fresh cheese (queso fresco) or mascarpone alongside, to cut the cinnamon sugar.
- Cold meats
- Savoury version: a slice of jamón and a soft cheese on an unsweetened torrija — a Spanish croque.
- Seafood
- Not a seafood bread. Keep it for coffee, chocolate or a small glass of sweet Pedro Ximénez.
- Salads & vegetables
- Sliced oranges with cinnamon, or macerated strawberries — sharp fruit against the sweetness.
Keep cooking
