Lemon Curd French Toast with Strawberry Compote
Perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch or any other springtime celebration, this dish will please diners of all ages. Granted, it takes a bit more work than your average French toast recipe, but the results are extraordinary. Bonus: You can prepare much of it in advance. After assembling the French toast, you refrigerate it overnight, which gives the bread plenty of time to soak up the lemony custard. The next morning, before your guests arrive, pop the pan in the oven and bake. The strawberry compote can also be made a day ahead; let it cool, then cover, refrigerate and rewarm just before serving.
Ingredients
For the lemon curd:
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup (3 oz./90 g) sugar
- 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) (3 oz./90 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the French toast:
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved
- 1 loaf brioche, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) slices
For the strawberry compote:
- 4 cups (1 lb./500 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) sugar
For the topping:
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) heavy cream
- 2 Tbs. sugar
- 1/4 cup (1 1/4 oz./40 g) pine nuts, toasted (optional)
Directions
To make the lemon curd, fill a large bowl with ice and water. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and butter until combined. Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the butter melts and the curd thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula, about 8 minutes. Immediately strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and place in the ice bath. Stir until the curd is cool. Set aside.
To make the French toast, butter an oval Dutch oven or a large oval baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream and vanilla bean seeds. Stir in the cooled lemon curd. Arrange the bread slices evenly in the prepared baking dish, overlapping the slices slightly, and pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Let the French toast stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the strawberry compote: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the strawberries and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries start to break down and the liquid released by the strawberries thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
To make the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the ricotta cheese, cream and sugar until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.
Remove the French toast from the oven. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Top with the strawberry compote, whipped cream and pine nuts and serve warm. Serves 6 to 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen