Pain Perdu

Break the eggs into a wide, shallow dish — a gratin dish or soup plate is ideal. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until fully combined and the sugar has dissolved — about 30 seconds. The mixture should be homogeneous and slightly frothy. The ratio of egg to milk is deliberately generous: you want a custard, not a wash. Taste it — it should taste rich, vanilla-sweet, and faintly eggy, like the best crème brûlée base.

Lay the brioche slices in the custard batter and soak for 1 minute per side — 2 minutes total. The bread should be visibly saturated and feel heavy, but not disintegrating. Day-old brioche is ideal because it is dry enough to absorb fully without falling apart; fresh bread will over-soak and collapse. When you lift a slice, hold it briefly over the dish — any excess custard should drip off in a slow trickle, not a stream, and the slice should hold together firmly.

Melt the butter in a non-stick or well-seasoned pan over medium heat. When the foam rises and begins to subside — the butter is now noisette — lay the soaked brioche slices gently in the pan. Do not move them. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the underside is deep golden-brown with caramelised patches. Carefully flip with a wide spatula and cook the second side for 2-3 minutes more. The inside should trembled like just-set custard — not liquid, not dry. Work in batches if needed; do not crowd the pan.

Transfer the hot pain perdu immediately to warm plates. Dust generously with icing sugar through a fine sieve — the sugar melts slightly on contact with the hot surface and caramelises at the edges. Serve with nothing else, or with a small jug of crème fraîche and a spoonful of fruit compote. The point is the contrast between the crisp caramelised crust and the trembling custard interior — serve within 2 minutes of leaving the pan before the crust softens.