Bánh mì French toast for Easter brunch

DALLAS - Chef Braden Wages, the owner of Malai Kitchen, stops by Good Day to share a recipe that puts a unique twist on Easter brunch.

Malai Kitchen features brunch entrées including the bánh mì French toast, Thai eggs benedict, fried rice over easy, spicy bloody marys, mimosas, and more.

The restaurant has four locations in Dallas -Preston Center, Dallas-Uptown, Southlake, and Fort Worth.

French Toast

• 4 ea Banh Mi Baguette Loaves
• 4 Tbl Butter
• To coat French Toast Batter

Cut the loaves into 2" slices 

Pre-heat an iron skillet on medium heat, and an oven to 400 degrees

Dip the sliced bread into the French toast batter for 5 seconds per side.  Batter should coat the bread but not soak the bread.  Over soaking the bread will cause it to break apart.

Add butter to skillet just before you transfer the bread. Butter should melt but not burn.

Add bread to skillet and cook for 3 minutes on the first side.

Turn French toast over to cook other side and transfer whole skillet into oven and cook for an additional 6 minutes until golden brown. 

While French toast is in the oven, cook the flambéed bananas.

Remove toast from oven, pour bananas over the French toast, followed by syrup. 

Coconut Syrup

• ½ cup Palm Sugar
• 1 cup  Coconut Milk
• 1 ea  Pandan Leaf, rough chopped
• 1 Tbl  Tamarind Puree

In a pot, add coconut milk, sugar, and pandan leaf.  Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and discard pandan leaf. 

Add tamarind and stir well.

Hold warm until ready to serve.

French Toast Batter

• 10 Eggs
• 4 cups Heavy Cream
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Tbl Nutmeg
• ½ tsp Cardamon

Combine all ingredients and whisk until well mixed.

Bananas for French Toast

• 3 Tbl Butter
• 5 ea Bananas, sliced
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Goslings Dark Rum

Slice bananas into ¼ inch pieces and coat with sugar.

Heat pan over medium heat and add butter. 

Once butter is melted, add bananas and cook for 3 minutes until sugar is dissolved into butter.

Add rum and ignite (use lighter).  Continue to cook 4 minutes after rum flames are gone

LINK: www.malaikitchen.com