SCRUMPTIOUS Salmon French Toast

Ingredients

• 1 loaf unsliced white bread (thick slice, crust removed)
• Smoked salmon (quantity to fill pocket)
• Cream cheese (soft cheese; crème fraîche or fromage frais can be used as substitutes)
• Fresh dill (leaves pulled apart, stems removed)
• Lemon (zest/rind)
• 1 egg
• Milk (a splash, combined with egg)
• Butter (for frying)
• Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Equipment

• Frying pan
• Serrated knife (recommended for cutting finished toast)
• Grater or zester (for lemon rind)

Preparation and Method

1. Prepare the filling

• Mix one egg with a splash of milk, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
• Pull apart fresh dill leaves and zest lemon rind.
• Combine cream cheese with dill and lemon zest, reserving some for garnish.

2. Prepare the bread

• Take a thick slice of unsliced white bread (a “doorstop” slice).
• Remove the crust all around the slice.
• Cut a pocket along the long side of the bread slice, deep enough to hold filling but not cut through.

3. Fill the bread

• Spread cream cheese inside the pocket thoroughly, right to the bottom.
• Add smoked salmon pieces inside the pocket, pushing them in gently with fingers.
• Add more cream cheese on top of the salmon inside the pocket.

4. Soak the bread

• Dip or soak the filled bread slice in the egg and milk mixture, allowing it to absorb well, including the sides.

5. Cook the French toast

• Heat a frying pan and add butter to sizzle.
• Place the soaked bread in the pan.
• Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side until golden and crispy.
• Turn the bread twice if needed, avoiding burning.
• Listen for the sizzling sound to stop, indicating the bread is cooked and ready to flip.
• Baste with butter during cooking for a nutty brown finish.

6. Serving and finishing touches

• Remove from pan and slice carefully with a serrated knife to avoid squeezing out the filling.
• Plate with extra cream cheese spread on top, additional smoked salmon, lemon zest, and fresh dill as garnish.
• Serve slightly warm, reminiscent of a smoked salmon bagel.

Chef Tips and Notes

• Using a serrated knife helps keep the filling intact when slicing.
• Removing the crust helps create a neat pocket for the filling.
• The lemon zest brightens the dish and “brings the kitchen alive.”
• The bread acts like a sponge soaking up the egg mixture, so let it absorb well before frying.
• Butter basting during frying adds flavor and a nutty aroma.
• This dish is suggested as a special breakfast or even a proposal breakfast due to its elegance.

Variations

• Substitute cream cheese with crème fraîche or fromage frais for different creaminess.
• Adjust filling quantities to preference.

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Presenter/Channel: Not explicitly named in subtitles, but the style suggests a conversational cooking show format with two hosts.