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Enjoy this savory smoked salmon french toast for breakfast to jumpstart your day. Parmesan garlic toast is topped with smoked salmon, poached eggs, briny capers, thinly shaved red onions, fresh dill, and mustard creme for an amazing brunch.
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Watch how to make this
What makes this dish special
I love making bread. The act of mixing just a couple of ingredients to eventually yield a beautiful loaf is a work of art. Recently, I decided to make my very first challah. The kneading process always seemed intimidating, but I decided to take on this challenge during these quarantine times. No time like the present, right?
Well, it wasn't perfect, but the challah texture was delightful, making it the perfect vessel for this smoked salmon french toast. What could be better than having fresh homemade bread? Turning that bread into a savory breakfast. Or if you're like me, savory dinner...or savory lunch.
Usually, if you go out for breakfast, all of the french toast options are sweet, like jasmine milk tea french toast, stuffed french toast, or eggnog french toast. But sometimes, I want a couple of slices of that french toast with a savory topping. And that's where this smoked salmon french toast comes in. It's like you're having bagels with lox but on a french toast...with a poached egg. And a delicious mustard creme fraiche. I don't know about you, but that sounds better than bagels and lox!
Ff you're looking for another savory french toast, check out this cheese brioche french toast!
Ingredients
- Challah: A type of braided bread made with eggs, giving it a rich, slightly sweet flavor and a soft texture. You can use brioche, French bread, or thick sliced white bread instead of challah.
- Parmesan: Adds a rich, umami flavor to the French toast batter.
- Creme fraiche: A thick, cultured cream with a slightly tangy flavor used in the mustard creme. If you can't find creme fraiche, use sour cream or Greek yogurt instead. Both will provide a similar tangy and creamy texture.
- Stone-ground mustard: A type of mustard made from coarsely ground mustard seeds, which gives it a grainy texture and robust flavor. The mustard adds a sharp, tangy flavor to the creme fraiche sauce, providing a nice contrast.
- Milk: You can use whole milk, non-fat milk, or 2% milk for the french toast batter. Oat milk, almond milk, and soy milk also work well with the recipe.
- Eggs: Eggs are used in the french toast batter and are poached for extra protein. You can omit the poached eggs or serve the dish with fried eggs.
- Capers: Add a burst of salty, tangy flavor to the dish.
- Dill: Used as a fresh garnish, contributing a bright, herbaceous flavor.
Substitutions and variations
- Protein: You can use other types of smoked fish, such as smoked trout or smoked mackerel. If you prefer a non-fish option, thinly sliced prosciutto or ham can provide a similar savory element.
- Vegetarian: Omit the smoked salmon.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free brioche or a gluten-free french loaf.
Recipe
Smoked Salmon French Toast
Ingredients
- ½ cup creme fraiche
- 2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
- 8 slices challah bread
- ⅔ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup parmesan grated
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces smoked salmon
- 1-2 tablespoons capers
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 8 poached eggs
- fresh dill for garnish
Instructions
- Make the mustard sauce. Mix together creme fraiche with stone-ground mustard. Set aside.
- Prepare the batter for the french toast. Mix together milk with garlic powder, black pepper, eggs, and grated parmesan. Dip the challah bread slices in the batter and let it sit for 10 seconds.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a griddle or nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Cook the french toast until golden brown, flip, and cook on the other side. Add additional butter as needed. Repeat with the remaining bread.
- Top the french toast with slices of smoked salmon, capers, thinly sliced red onion, poached eggs, fresh dill, and a dollop of the mustard creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cook french toast
How you prepare this savory french toast is no different than making a sweet version, except with a couple of additional ingredients. Add garlic powder, black pepper, and parmesan to the egg and milk powder to give the bread extra flavor.
You can use other bread than challah, including but not limited to Pullman bread and brioche. Slice the bread to about 1 inch thick so that the bread doesn't just fall apart and turn to mush while cooking.
Dip the bread slices in the batter, letting it sit for 10 seconds to absorb the batter. Then, melt butter in a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat and cook the toast until golden brown on both sides.
Step 2: Prepare toppings
While the bread is cooking, prepare the toppings. You can also choose to prepare the toppings ahead of time.
Mix together the crème fraiche with stone-ground mustard until combined. This sauce has a good amount of mustard, making it a little spicy. You can add less mustard to reduce the sharp flavor.
Thinly slice the red onion - I like to use a mandoline to help with this step. You can also soak them in ice-cold water for 10 minutes if you want to soften the sharp flavor.
Pick some fresh dill and gather the smoked salmon and capers.
This would also be the ideal time to poach some eggs. I served one egg per slice of french toast, for a total of 8 eggs for 8 slices.
Step 3: Putting it all together
Now it's time to pile on the toppings! I like to place a dollop of the mustard creme fraiche right on top of the poached eggs and serve extra on the side. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper for the finishing touch.
And there you have it, a beautiful, savory smoked salmon french toast. By the time I finished preparing this, it was dinner time, but you know what? It was still amazing for dinner.
The thick challah slices coated in a parmesan batter, topped with a runny egg and smoked salmon, were satisfying enough to enjoy any time of the day!
Make-ahead and storage tips
- Make-ahead: To keep the French toast warm, place the cooked slices on a baking sheet in a single layer and keep them in a low oven (around 200°F) until you're ready to serve. Prepare the toppings, including the capers, thinly sliced red onion, mustard creme fraiche, and picked dill. After poaching the eggs, immediately transfer them to ice water to stop the cooking process. Let them cool and store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Store: Store all the toppings, poached eggs, and French toast separately. When ready to enjoy, reheat the French toast in the oven or over low heat on the stovetop. Reheat the eggs in a pot of simmering water. Reheat eggs for about 1 minute or just until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
To poach eggs, bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer and add a splash of vinegar. Crack each egg into a small bowl and gently slide it into the simmering water. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
More smoked salmon recipes
Looking for more recipes featuring smoked salmon? Try these:
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