Lemon Meringue French Toast
Rich French Toast topped with lemon curd and a tower of toasted meringue. Garnish with fresh raspberries, graham crumbs, and chopped pistachios.
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ tsp cornstarch
- 4 tbsp salted butter
Meringue
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tbsp sugar
French Toast
- 2-3 whole eggs (1 egg for 2 slices)
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ tsp cinnamon sugar
- Splash vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 4-6 sourdough bread slices
Garnish
- Fresh Raspberries
- Pistachios, shelled and chopped
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Icing Sugar
- Pancake Syrup (optional)
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Setup a double boiler on your stovetop and wait for the water to come to a rapid boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer as not to overcook the curd.
- In a large bowl or double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cornstarch/corn flour until well combined and frothy. Place over your double boiler and whisk constantly until the curd starts to thicken. If making this French toast with a partner, this is a great task to delegate out while the other continues on with the meringue/french toast.
- Once the curd has thickened to about the texture of hollandaise sauce, remove the curd from the heat and set in the fridge and cool. If making this curd ahead of time, place a piece of cling film on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming.
French Toast
- While your kitchen assistant is whisking the lemon curd, setup an electric griddle or a frying pan for the french toast and set to medium heat.
- In a shallow bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. If using a lighter milk like skim or 1%, feel free to substitute a little bit of milk for coffee or whipping cream to make the custard a bit richer.
- Heat the tablespoon of butter on the grill and ensure the butter is nicely bubbling before adding your bread slices.
- Quickly dunk your sourdough slices into the custard mixture and grill in the butter. Ensure you have a nice golden crust on your french toast before flipping. Once both sides are golden, turn off the griddle and prepare for assembly.
Meringue
- While the curd is cooling and the french toast is grilling you can get on with the meringue. In a clean bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar together until slightly thick and frothy. Slowly add the sugar a little bit at a time and whip until very stiff peaks form. Scoop the meringue into a pastry/ziploc bag fitted with a large star nozzle and set aside.
Assembly
- Place one slice of french toast on a plate and top with a good spoonful of lemon curd. Add your second slice of toast and repeat (and then third if having 3 slices).
- With your piping bag or meringue, pipe a magnificent tower of meringue onto your french toast tower. Quickly grab your propane torch and toast your perfect swirl of meringue.
- To finish, kiss your french toast with a light dusting of icing sugar, a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs, and a drizzle of pancake syrup. Fresh raspberries and chopped pistachios add a touch of freshness and crunch to this breakfast of Kings.