How to Make a ‘Budget-Friendly’ Dish Out of Stale Bread, According to This Iconic French Chef
Few chefs have the years’ long legacy that French chef Jacques Pépin has. With his resume of 24-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, Emmy Award-winning television host, food writer for The New York Times and over 30-time cookbook author, he has the credibility to back up any recipe, cooking technique or trick he shares with us.
On his wildly popular Instagram channel, Pépin, who is now 89 years old, shares how to make everything from his famous soufflé to simple “no recipe recipes” utilizing ingredients everyone has in their kitchen. On Tuesdays, he posts budget-friendly recipes, which have quickly become fan-favorites.
One of the dishes Pépin has shared that has garnered a lot of attention are his “Bread Flapjacks". The star of the recipe is two slices of stale bread. He shares in the video that he never wastes leftover bread, as there are plenty of things you can make with it (we’re looking at you, croutons).
He mixes the cubed stale bread with milk, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and egg to form a batter, then fries dollops in hot oil like you would a fritter, until the savory cakes are golden brown. He finishes them with dollops of Daisy sour cream to serve.
How to Make Jacques Pépin's Bread Flapjacks
Ingredients:
1 cup cubed stale bread
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 large egg
Oil, for frying
Sour cream or crème fraîche, for serving
Directions:
1. Place cubed bread and milk in a bowl; stir to combine. Add onion, parsley, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Add egg; stir until uniform.
2. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Scoop about ¼-⅓ cup of batter into the hot oil, making 3 pancakes. Cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.
3. Serve with dollops of sour cream or crème fraîche.
What Do Fans Think About Bread Flapjacks?
Fans seem to love his “Budget Tuesday” videos, as demonstrated by the comments section of his video. “Chef NEVER ceases to amaze me”, said one fan. “OFC. Bread is mainly just flour so [it] works with milk and egg in a pancake mix. Genius”, exclaimed another.
“Looooove your budget tuesday!!!! So humbling… I love how you show how to utilize leftovers or “getting old” ingredients and meals . I love how you show us how to cook simply and yet still make it tasty without getting extra stuff. It is extra fun and special because this is from you, one of the greatest chefs…” said one more.
In the video, Pépin also suggests making bread flapjacks in a sweet fashion, like a bread pudding, mixing the stale bread with milk, sugar and diced fruit, frying the cakes in oil and serving with maple syrup.
We enjoy that while Pépin has cooked for some of the most prestigious people in history, he still appreciates simple cooking with high-quality, yet humble ingredients. And next time we have a few slices of forgotten bread in the pantry, we’ll be making a batch of flapjacks, that’s for certain.
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