My mouth starts salivating upon just reading the words "dulce de leche French toast" from The Promontory's brunch menu. We've all encountered our fair share of French toast recipes, but none quite like this. Executive chef Bernard Bennet of this Chicago establishment says the house-made dulce de leche is truly the star of this particular dish. The version at The Promontory utilizes the traditional method of simmering milk and sugar for a long time to get the luxurious caramel sauce. This dish also includes roasted bananas, Mexican chocolate, toasted pecans, and whipped cream to make this a brunch recipe you won't soon forget.
Dulce de Leche French Toast Recipe
Courtesy of Executive Chef Bernard Bennet, The Promontory, ChicagoIngredients
Dulce de Leche (makes about 1 1/2 cups):
4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
French Toast:
8 eggs
1 quart heavy cream
1 quart milk
3 tablespoon vanilla paste
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
2 slices brioche Pullman per serving
For Serving:
Roasted bananas
Powdered sugar
Abuelita chocolate
Toasted pecans
Whipped cream
Directions
For the Dulce de Leche: Add the milk, sugar and baking soda to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and thickened, about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes total. After about an hour, stir more often to avoid burning as milk caramelizes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
For the French Toast: Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, milk, vanilla paste, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in bowl until evenly combined. Dip the bread in the egg mixture and cook on a hearth grill or in a skillet until browned; flip and repeat on the other side.
For Serving: Swoosh some dulce de leche over the plate to start, then place 1 slice of French toast hot off the hearth grill on top of the sauce. Spoon a generous amount of dulce de leche onto bread. Top with a roasted banana followed by the second slice of French toast and then more dulce de leche. Dust with some powdered sugar, grate some abuelita chocolate over the top, sprinkle with some toasted pecans, and finish with a dollop of whipped cream.
Image courtesy of The Promontory.
