Christmas Delight- Portuguese RABANADAS

Portugal might not be the most Christmassy country, but what it lacks in wintery weather, it makes up for in colourful street decorations a n d d e l i c i o u s C h r i s t m a s f o o d . M o s t Portuguese Christmas desserts consist of some variation of fried dough, sweetened either with granulated sugar and cinnamon, or home-made syrup. Rabanadas are Portugal’s take on French toast and they are also known as Fatias Douradas, that is, golden slices. During December and early January, bakeries will sell cacete, a specific type of bread used to make this preparation and that is hard to come by during the rest of the year. This harder drier bread is ideal to soak up a sweet mixture of milk and eggs, that once it’s been fried, will turn an otherwise humble slice of bread into one of Portugal’s favorite Christmas snacks. Rabanadas are good for dessert, breakfast or anytime of the day, really. Unlike French toast, they are normally prepared in advance, and consumed room temperature whenever you feel like something sweet. Variations of Rabanadas include Rabanadas com Doce de Ovo, good ‘ol Rabanadas with a top layer of thick egg jam, and Rabanadas com Vinho do Porto, where the traditional milky mixture used to soak the bread is substituted by water and Port Wine – it doesn’t get much more Portuguese than this! Here is a Rabanadas Recipe for you to try at home!

THE INGREDIENTS ARE THE FOLLOWING:

•4 French bread

•360 ml of milk

•2 eggs

•Zest of a whole lemon

•1 cup of frying oil (to fry)

•80 grams of sugar

•2 tbsp of grounded cinnamon

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT:

1.The first step in making homemade Rabanadas is to prepare the ingredients: cut the bread into slices, place the milk and lemon zest on a plate and, on another plate, the beaten eggs. Heat the oil in a skillet.

2.Pass the slices one by one on the plate with the milk and zest, letting some of the milk absorb without falling apart.

Note: You may need to add more milk depending on how much your bread soaks it up 3.Then transfer the slices to the beaten egg dish and fold on both sides.

4.Finally, place the golden slices frying in hot oil until golden on one side. Then turn and let it brown on the other side too. Tip: You don't need to use a lot of oil to fry the slices, just enough to line the bottom of a skillet or pan. Add more oil as you fry the slices, waiting for it to heat up before adding more to the frying.

5.When the French toast is browned on both sides, remove and place on a plate with a paper towel, to drain excess oil.

6.In a dish, mix the sugar and cinnamon and fold the simple Rabanada in these ingredients. Place them on a serving plate and they are ready to delight everyone on the most special night of the year or any other time.

Bom apetite!