Yaji-Orange-Almond French Toast

One of the best French Toasts I ever had was made by Joel – Food lover, Photographer. He whipped up a delicious version with yaji and oranges that totally blew me away. Arguably, the best French Toast I’ve ever had! Thank you, Joel. He writes:

My journey to the New Nigerian Kitchen began after Kitchen Butterfly, held me up to the promise to make her French toast as I had confidently said that it was and might probably still be, the only dessert I could make in my sleep and that right well.

So in the days leading up to “The Big Day”, my mind was constantly swamped with thoughts on how I could jazz up my Orange Almond French toast and give it that “je ne sais quoi”. I mean, I was supposed to be cooking for the Kitchen Butterfly! Renowned blogger, food afficionado and an amazing cook herself. I mean, wouldn’t you have done the same, if you were in my shoes? Thought so too :p!

Finally it came to me – I’d always wanted to experiment with spices that brought about a certain “smokiness” to certain dishes, especially where they are unexpected. It also happens to be one of her go to spices – Yaji, suya spice!

Here’s how to rustle up a fantastic dish of French Toast:

Ingredients
A loaf of stale, unsliced bread
3 egg yolks
½ cup of milk (cream can be substituted too)
1 orange , finely zested and juiced
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder, or to taste
A handful of almond flakes or 1 teaspoon almond essence
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Yaji, to taste
Browned butter, to fry

To Serve

• Speculoos or Speculaas biscuits, crushed
• Strawberries, halved, or any other fruit
• Vanilla Ice cream
• Salted Caramel
• Mango cream
• Candied zobo flowers

Directions

• With a bread knife, carefully cut off the crust of the loaf, and slice thickly. The goal? Rectangles the size of soap bar.
  In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, milk, orange zest and juice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, almond essence (in the absence of almond flakes) and whisk well to form the dipping base.
• Heat up a pan – regular or grill. Grease lightly with the browned butter and a little oil in a pan and throw in some of the almond flakes
  Dip the rectangular chunks of bread into the mix on every side till slightly soaked ( so it doesn’t fall apart as it becomes viscid)
• Sprinkle some yaji
• Put the soaked chunks of bread in a pan, until caramelised on each side.
• Put in a moderately warm oven to cook through.
• Serve with crushed Speculoos, mango cream, candied zobo flowers and vanilla ice cream.
• And boy did that Yaji come through. It was beautiful!

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I thoroughly enjoyed it – the combination of sweet and spice, fruit and crunch, the colours, everything, every…single…thing was amazing!

Thank you, Joel.