Mains
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Savory French toast made with plenty of garlic and herbs, all crusted in crisply browned Parmesan cheese. [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup whole milk or half and half
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more to garnish
  • 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
  • 8 (1/2-inch) slices hearty country bread, challah, or brioche, preferably one day old
  • 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions

Procedures

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 200°F. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, 1 ounce cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place remaining Parmesan on a large plate.

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until melted. Working one slice at a time, dip bread in egg mixture, then dredge in grated Parmesan to coat well on both sides. Lay in skillet. Repeat until four slices of bread are in skillet. Cook, swirling pan and flipping occasionally, until deep golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining butter and second batch of bread.

  3. Sprinkle french toast with scallions and more chopped parsley and serve immediately.