Nostalgia & History > Recipe: AT&SF Super Chief French Toast -

Anybody know the REAL SF recipe for their legendary French Toast?
If you've got, could you post it?

Just wondering?

FlapJack Wes

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anybody know the REAL SF recipe for their
> legendary French Toast?
> If you've got, could you post it?
>
> Just wondering?
>
> FlapJack Wes

How's this, Sir ??

Culinary memories flood my mind, as those were the days of the dining car, white linens and classic menu choices. How all was accomplished in the diminutive train kitchens is still a wonder. A Santa Fe chef I made an acquaintance of years ago shared the secrets of this nearly ethereal concoction: the French toast was browned in oil and then baked. Probably the first step was done much in advance and then as orders were taken, the pre-done toast would be popped into a hot oven to be heated and puff. In those good ole days, the French toast would come accompanied by fresh sliced strawberries and wonderful crisp bacon.

Santa Fe Railroad French Toast

3 slices three-day-old bread, cut ¾ inch thick

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup light cream

¼ tsp. salt

Confectioners’ sugar

Warm syrup


Cut firm homemade-style bread into ¾-inch slices. Trim crusts from bread and cut each slice into a triangle.

Combine beaten eggs, cream and salt. Dip bread triangles in the mixture, allowing the bread to absorb as much of custard as possible.

Meantime, preheat ½-inch oil in an electric skillet to 350 degrees. Also preheat an oven to 400 degrees.

Using tongs, transfer the soaked bread to preheated oil. When first side is brown, turn to second side. Remove browned pieces to a shallow sided pan such as a jelly roll pan.

Bake the browned French toast in a 400-degree oven until puffed, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain quickly on paper toweling. Transfer to a warm platter. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve with warm syrup. Makes 3 servings, two triangles per serving.

Enjoy!!

KRK

I was on a business car trip and talked to the chef while were stopped at Bakersfield one day. It was almost always served for breakfast. I am on a trip and don't have all the amounts with me but here is what I have.

Loaf of Texas Toast
Cut off all of the edges (you can use them for bread crumbs)
Cut the bread on a diaganol
Let it set out to dry for a few hours
Wet Mix
Six to Eight eggs if you do the whole loaf
1 cup of cream or half and half-you can add more as the wet mix gets used up
2 teaspoons cinnamon-I use Prenzy's Vietnamese Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg-freshly grated if you can-add more to taste
1 teaspoon of sugar
Pinch of Salt
Mix all ingredients together
Dip bread in mix-if you are running low or want more spice add more of the wet mix ingredients just get the bread covered do not soak it as it will turn to mush. You could even put it on a cooling rack and let the excess mix flow off of it.
Place on wax paper on baking sheet and cover for the night in the fridge
May take more than one baking sheet, do not stack they can get soggy
In the morning heat up 3/4 inch of canola oil in a frying pan and heat to 350 degrees
Place 1 piece of bread in pan and see how it does in your pan-just let one side get to a golden brown and flip over and watch it closely to let it get to golden brown and pull out of pan and place on paper towel to soak off any grease and then put on paper towel on a baking sheet and put in a 300 degree oven, let it bake for 5 minutes turn it for another 5 minutes and then pull and serve with powdered sugar and syrup or jelly/jam.

I will usually do 2-3 pieces in the pan at once. The oil is too hot if the pan starts foaming (like a steam engine water problem)and if the toast browns quickly. Take it off the burner and reduce heat and start over. If the oil turns really brown, start over. You are benefiting from my experience.

Jim Wilson

In the mid-60's I made a number of cross-country trips that included the Santa Fe between Pasadena and Chicago. I vividly remember one morning on the El Cap, when attempting to order a french toast breakfast, how disappointed I was when informed by the steward that the french toast was served only on the Chief. I don't know if at some point in time this specialty made it onto the menus of additional Santa Fe trains, but during those years it apparently belonged solely to the Chief. This was fine with me, because I preferred the Chief for it's schedule and spacious full-length dome.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/13 20:35 by terrybaker.

If you really want a tasty french toast, try cutting up small bits of bacon and pre-cook it to an almost done state and set aside and drain. Mix up your best french toast mix, I recommend light on the milk in the mix. Place the bacon bits 8 or 9 in the pan for each slice and dip the bread and place over the bacon. Cook as normal till golden and turn as needed. No need for syrup of powdered sugar.

WOW!
The posted memories and the the recipes are fabulous!
Thanks SO much for ALL the posts...keep them coming.

Anybody got other RR breakfast favorites?

I'm going to whip some up for Sunday morning, break out my B&O china, my E-L silver coffee pot and water pitcher, my Sou Ry glasses (OJ) and my linen tablecloth and napkins. Put on the Super Chief video and time travel on a westbound trip to L.A.

Wes..

wcamp1472 Wrote:

> WOW!...............

> I'm going to whip some up for Sunday morning,
> break out my B&O china, my E-L silver coffee pot
> and water pitcher, my Sou Ry glasses (OJ) and my
> linen tablecloth and napkins. Put on the Super
> Chief video and time travel on a westbound trip to
> L.A................

(drooling on several levels!) Hey Wes, can I come over to your house??? ;^)

jtwlunch Wrote:

> I was on a business car trip and talked to the
> chef while were stopped at Bakersfield one day.
> It was almost always served for breakfast. I am
> on a trip and don't have all the amounts with me
> but here is what I have......

>>> (the recipe with JTL's touches) <<<

> You are benefiting from my experience.

Let's see pal; If I work up the nerve to try this for Kathi someday (like a birthday) and it turns into a disaster, can I come crash on your couch for a few days?
She LOVES French toast & is pretty particular about it...

Lanzo (the spaghetti maker)

;^)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/13 20:50 by santafe199.

http://breakfast.food.com/recipe/santa-fe-railroad-french-toast-236922

wcamp1472 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WOW!
> The posted memories and the the recipes are
> fabulous!
> Thanks SO much for ALL the posts...keep them
> coming.
>
> Anybody got other RR breakfast favorites?
>
> I'm going to whip some up for Sunday morning,
> break out my B&O china, my E-L silver coffee pot
> and water pitcher, my Sou Ry glasses (OJ) and my
> linen tablecloth and napkins. Put on the Super
> Chief video and time travel on a westbound trip to
> L.A.
>
> Wes..

I've spoken for years about the RAISIN-BREAD that the Southern Pacific was noted for!
But have never as yet found a receipe !

KRK

Our family always enjoys a wonderful breakfast of Santa Fe-style French Toast each Christmas morning (more than once a year will cause a sure trip to your heart doctor!)