Torrijas (Spanish French toast)

Easter in Spain tastes like this: thick slices of stale bread soaked in cinnamon-and-lemon infused milk, dipped in egg and fried, then rolled in sugar and cinnamon or drenched in honey. France has pain perdu; Spain has torrijas, and they are juicier.

Ingredients

• 8 thick slices of day-old bread (ideally pan de torrijas or brioche)
• 500 ml whole milk with 1 cinnamon stick, lemon peel and 3 tbsp sugar, infused and cooled
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Olive or sunflower oil for frying
• Sugar and ground cinnamon to coat (or honey to drizzle)

Method

1. Warm the milk with the cinnamon, lemon peel and sugar; cool completely.
2. Soak the bread slices in the milk until saturated but not falling apart, then dip in the beaten egg.
3. Fry in medium-hot oil until golden on both sides.
4. Roll immediately in cinnamon sugar - or drizzle with honey diluted with a little warm water for the Andalusian style. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• The bread must be stale: fresh bread disintegrates in the milk.
• They keep a day and are still excellent - some say better.