Strawberry / English Muffin French Toast

Thanks to this year’s El Niño effect there is currently an abundance of strawberries on the market (I can get them for 88 cents a pound at Ralph’s supermarkets in southern California). So I was ecstatic when I received a Food Network e-mail with a link to the Food Network Magazine Strawberry Shortcake French Toast recipe. If you add a spoon of fresh whipped cream, this is a breakfast I would be happy to order in a restaurant.

The Best Hash Brown Potatoes, Ever!

This recipe is from Michel Richard’s Happy in the Kitchen. It is a bit more complex and certainly has more calories than standard hash browns but is definitely worth it. The result tastes like something you would get in a restaurant. The best part is that you can make it in advance, put it in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator and finish it just before serving (it takes about 2 minutes under a pre-heated broiler). I like this with eggs over easy on top.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1 pound potatoes (2 large or 4 small), peeled
4 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic
¼ cup fresh Parmesan cheese

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Lightly butter a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and line with parchment paper (the butter will ensure the paper adheres to the dish).
3. Julienne and then dry the potatoes.
4. Heat the cream, butter, salt and pepper to taste over medium – high heat in a large sauté pan stirring occasionally until the butter is melted.
5. Add the potatoes to the cream mixture and mix / fold until completely coated. Cook just until the cream thickens (approximately 2 minutes). Remove from heat.
6. Grate the clove of garlic into the potato mixture and stir. Again, season with salt and pepper to taste (potatoes need lots of seasoning).
7. Spread the mixture evenly onto the parchment paper and flatten using a spatula. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
8. Bake in oven 30 – 40 minutes until brown on top. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. If necessary, run a knife between the potatoes and the side of the dish so it doesn’t stick.
9. Put in refrigerator until cold to set. Leaving the potatoes on the parchment paper take them out of the dish and cut into four rectangles with a pizza cutter. At this point you can store them in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator until ready to eat (I don’t know how long they last in the refrigerator as I generally eat them within a day or two).
10. When ready to serve, preheat the broiler on high. Put the potatoes brown side up in a baking pan and broil until the top is crisp and sizzling (about 2 minutes). If you want extra crispy potatoes, turn over and repeat.
11. Drain briefly on a paper towel and serve.

Notes

1. I love the taste, texture and color of Yukon Gold potatoes but it should work well with russets.
2. I use a mandoline to julienne the potatoes but a box grater will work too.
3. A salad spinner works great for drying the potatoes or you can lay them on layers of paper towels.
4. If you use a rasp or microplane grater, the garlic will be nearly liquefied and able to be completely incorporated into the potato mixture.