Rabanadas

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large heavy skillet or frying pan
• •Wide shallow dish for soaking
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Kitchen thermometer (helpful but not essential)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the milk

   Pour the milk into a wide shallow pan. Add 50g of the sugar, the lemon zest, and the cinnamon stick. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Don't let it boil. You want it warm, fragrant, infused with lemon and cinnamon. Remove from heat and let it steep for 10 minutes. The whole kitchen should smell like Christmas.

   Some families add a splash of port wine to the milk. Avó Leonor didn't, but her neighbor in Évora swore by it. Both are correct.
2. 2

   Slice the bread

   Cut the bread into slices about 2cm thick. Not too thin or they'll fall apart. Not too thick or the center won't soak through. Remove the crusts if you like, though Avó Leonor never bothered. Day-old bread is essential. Fresh bread turns to mush. If your bread is too fresh, slice it and leave it uncovered overnight.

3. 3

   Soak the bread

   Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon zest from the milk. Dip each bread slice into the warm milk, letting it soak for about 10 seconds per side. The bread should absorb the milk but not become so saturated it falls apart. It should feel heavy but still hold its shape. Work in batches, laying the soaked slices on a tray.

   This is where most people go wrong. Too long in the milk and the bread disintegrates. Too short and the center stays dry. Watch the bread, not the clock.
4. 4

   Beat the eggs

   Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl and beat them well with a fork until completely smooth. No streaks of white should remain.

5. 5

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of about 1cm. Heat over medium-high until the oil shimmers and a small piece of bread sizzles immediately when dropped in. The temperature should be around 170°C (340°F). Not so hot that the egg burns before the inside warms. Not so cool that the rabanadas absorb oil and turn greasy.

6. 6

   Dip and fry

   Working one at a time, dip each milk-soaked bread slice into the beaten egg, coating both sides completely. Let the excess drip off for a second, then carefully slide it into the hot oil. Fry until deep golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes, then flip and fry the other side. The color should be the warm amber of autumn leaves, not pale yellow, not dark brown. Remove to a wire rack or paper towels.

   Don't crowd the pan. Two or three at a time, maximum. Crowding drops the oil temperature and makes them greasy.
7. 7

   Coat in cinnamon sugar

   Mix the remaining 100g sugar with the ground cinnamon on a wide plate. While the rabanadas are still warm, press each one into the cinnamon sugar, coating both sides generously. The sugar should stick to the warm surface and form a sweet crust. Be generous. This is not the moment for restraint.

8. 8

   Serve

   Pile the rabanadas on a serving platter. Drizzle with honey if you like, or serve the honey alongside for people to add their own. Eat them warm, though they're also good at room temperature. At Avó Leonor's house, they never lasted long enough to find out if they were good cold.

Chef Tips

• •The bread matters more than anything. You need a dense, tight crumb that won't fall apart when soaked. Portuguese pão de forma is ideal. Brioche is too rich. Sliced sandwich bread is too flimsy. Look for a simple white bread with substance.
• •Portuguese cinnamon (from former colonies like São Tomé) is softer and more fragrant than cassia cinnamon sold in most supermarkets. If you can find true Ceylon cinnamon, use it. You'll taste the difference.
• •Some families soak their bread in sweetened port wine instead of milk. Some use half milk, half wine. If you want to try the wine version, use a tawny port and reduce the sugar in the soaking liquid.
• •Rabanadas keep for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature, though they're best fresh. They don't reheat well in the microwave (they turn rubbery), but you can crisp them briefly in a warm oven.
• •In the Alentejo, some grandmothers drizzle the rabanadas with a syrup made from sugar, water, lemon, and cinnamon instead of coating them dry. Both methods are traditional. Both are correct.

Advance Preparation

• •The milk can be infused with cinnamon and lemon up to a day ahead. Refrigerate and rewarm gently before using.
• •Slice the bread the night before and leave it uncovered if it's not stale enough.
• •Rabanadas are best eaten the day they're made, though they keep reasonably well for a day or two.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)