Tostees Dorees

French Toast

Source: Le Viandier de Taillevent, written in the 14th by Guillaume Tirel, the chief cook of King Charles V of France.

Original Recipe:

Pour faire Tostees dorees, prenez du pain blanc dur et le trenchiez par tostees quarrees et les rostir ung pou sur le grail; et avoir moyeulx d'oeufz batuz et les envelopez tres bien dedans iceulx moyeulx; et avoir de bon sain chault et les dorer dedans sur le feu tant qu'elles soient belles et bien dorees et puis les oster de dedans la paelle et mettez es platz, et du succre dessus.

Translation: (Translated by Terence Scully)

Tostees Dorees: To make Glazed Toast, slice hard white bread into squares for toast, and roast them lightly on the grill, and coat them completely with beaten egg yolks; get good hot grease and glaze them in it on the fire until they are properly glazed; then take them out of the pan and put them on plates, with sugar over top.

My Interpretation:

1 pound Bread sliced

8 tsp. Oil

16 Egg yolks

8 tsp. Sugar

Toast bread slightly. Beat egg yolks. Coat toasted bread slices with egg yolk. In skillet heat oil. Fry egg coated bread about 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and center springs back from light touch. Lay cooked slices on plate, sprinkle with sugar and serve.

Notes:

    • The original recipe calls for hot grease, which I would take to be any type of rendered animal fat or vegetable oil.

    • The original talks about using the hot grease to glaze the bread slices properly, then to take them out of the pan. This description appears to be a frying technique. There is no mention if there is to be a lot or little oil in this cooking method.

Works Referenced:

Scully, Terence, ed. The Viandier of Taillevent Canada: University of Ottawa Press, 1988