BBB Pain Perdu Recipe

credit: Bob Chamberlin/L.A. Times

If you’re a fan of Big Bad Breakfast, maybe you’ve ordered the Pain Perdu, a brandy-spiked French toast with berries and chantilly cream, on one of your visits.

 

Last week, the Los Angeles Times shared a recipe for the breakfast favorite, which I’ll pass along below. Be sure to send a photo if you make your own!

 

Big Bad Breakfast’s pain perdu
Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4

 

Chantilly cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until needed; the chantilly cream can be made up to 1 hour in advance.

Pain perdu and assembly
4 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup brandy
Peanut oil for frying
6 slices Texas toast or country white bread cut into 3/4-inch thick slices
Powdered sugar, fresh berries and/or Chantilly cream to garnish

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, half-and-half and brandy until thoroughly combined to make the batter.
2. Add enough oil to come up the sides of a deep cast iron skillet by about 1 inch. Heat the oil until a thermometer inserted reaches 325 degrees.
3. Halve the bread slices diagonally. Dredge a couple slices in the batter until both sides are thoroughly soaked. Lift the slices out of the batter and allow to drain briefly.
4. Carefully place the bread into the fry oil and fry each side until golden-brown, approximately 1 minute per side.
5. Remove the toast from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining slices until all are fried.
6. Serve the pain perdu, three pieces to a plate. Garnish as desired. The restaurant serves the dish topped with powdered sugar, berries and chantilly cream.

Each of 4 servings: 675 calories; 13 grams protein; 45 grams carbohydrate; 2 grams fiber; 46 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 305 mg cholesterol; 14 grams sugar; 566 mg sodium.

 

Breaking For Breakfast

Subway, of all places, is debuting a breakfast menu today, helping to reinforce the idea that breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day (not to take away from the day’s other two meals, of course). On the Subway breakfast menu you’ll find egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, whole wheat English muffins, foot longs with as many toppings as you can fit, and more. Prices range from $1.75 to $6 (and no, the photo above is not from Subway).

Now that I’m thinking about it, there are quite a few breakfast options in Oxford now. I remember not too long ago when I’d complain about never having a place to go for eggs, pancakes or smoothies. Check out the list of choices we have now–no excuse for skipping breakfast.

• Honey Bee Bakery
• Big Bad Breakfast
• Mama Jo’s Country Cookin’
• Bottletree Bakery
• LBs. Meat Market
• Smoothie King
• Main Squeeze
• Handy Andy
• Beacon
• Huddle House
• Phillips Grocery
• Einstein Bros. Bagels
• Mink’s On The Park
• Hunt Bros. Pizza
• The Blind Pig
• Fotino’s Deli and Market

A Holiday Gift to Oxford Vegetarians

After receiving an email from a concerned Oxford consumer about the unexpected addition of bacon in her salad while dining in a new restaurant in Oxford, I thought I’d address the diverse eating habits here in town. As someone with several friends who have lessened–or stopped altogether–their consumption of meat, I have observed restaurants that accommodate these special diets as well as those who blatantly disregard them.

As a University-based town, people move to Oxford, Mississippi, from all parts of the country as well as overseas. While they are aware that they are coming to the South (famous for its pork-based menu items), those who are vegetarians are also arriving with an expectation that there will be at least one meat-free option on a restaurant’s menu (not including fries). In addition, with so many more people concerned about where their meat is coming from nowadays, we’re seeing even more people transitioning over to a meat-free lifestyle.

Thankfully, there are several restaurants in Oxford that have included vegetarian options/entrees on their menus. Most vegetarians have learned, from experience, to ask about every ingredient (right down to the bacon fat used to make some biscuits and fries), and many restaurant owners have addressed consumer concerns and taken steps to make their establishments more vegetarian friendly.

Below is a list of Oxford restaurants with vegetarian options (at least one); if I’ve left anyone out, please let me know by commenting here or emailing me at foodie@eatingoxford.com. If you’re a vegetarian who likes to cook at home as well, check out the 101 Cookbooks blog. Thank you to all of the restaurant owners/operators who are sympathetic to the dietary needs of Oxford residents. To others, please consider adding an option to your menu or a note that invites vegetarians to ask their server for meat-free versions of existing menu items.

• Red House Burgers & Blues
• Tallulah’s/Catfish One
• Panini
• Deli News
• Marie’s Lebanese Cuisine
• Turkuaz Cafe
• Kabuki
• Yocona in Exile
• The Bungalow
• Ajax Diner
• Big Bad Breakfast (if you eat eggs)
• Boure (lunch menu)
• Chili’s
• Taqueria El Milagro
• Maharaja Indian Cuisine
• Parrish-Baker Pub
• McAlister’s Deli
• Bottletree Bakery
• Honeybee Bakery
• Two Stick
• Newk’s
• Bangkok Thai
• Frank & Marlee’s
• Nagoya Japanese
• O.E.C. Japanese Express
• Proud Larry’s
• Volta Taverna
• Oby’s
• Phillips Grocery
• Old Venice Pizza Co.
• Downtown Grill
• Varsity Grille
• Ravine
• Castle Hill Resort & Restaurant

Big Bad Breakfast using recycled boxes

Bravo to Big Bad Breakfast for now using recycled carryout/to-go boxes! I hear so much about these and never see them being used by any of the restaurants I patronize. Finally someone is showing some love for the environment!