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Bouchon French toast in Las Vegas

Thomas Keller's brioche French toast at Bouchon Venetian, an oven-finished version with custard-soaked brioche, brown butter, vanilla bean and grade-A maple syrup. Brunch's most photographed plate.

The story of Bouchon French toast

Brioche French toast became a Vegas signature when Thomas Keller opened Bouchon at the Venetian in 2004, a French bistro built around the Las Vegas brunch. The recipe was a refinement of Keller's Yountville version: brioche from the Bouchon Bakery, custard-soaked overnight, oven-finished rather than fried. Keller's team teaches the technique through the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. The plate is the most-photographed brunch in Vegas and runs daily on the Bouchon menu (the Bistro and the Bakery counter both).

How to make Bouchon French toast

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 thick slices of day-old brioche (3cm thick)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 240ml whole milk
  • 120ml heavy cream
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
  • Pinch of salt
  • 60g unsalted butter, browned
  • Grade-A maple syrup
  • Powdered sugar
  • Fresh berries

Method

  1. Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla seeds and salt in a wide bowl until smooth.
  2. Lay the brioche slices flat in a baking dish. Pour the custard over. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, ideally overnight, turning once.
  3. Heat the oven to 190C (375F). Brown the butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat until nutty and amber, 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Place the soaked brioche slices in the foaming brown butter. Cook 2 minutes per side to set the surface.
  5. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until the centres are set and the tops are golden.
  6. Dust with powdered sugar, top with berries, serve with warm maple syrup on the side.

Editor tip. Day-old brioche is essential; fresh brioche turns mushy. If you only have fresh, dry the slices in a low oven for 10 minutes first.

The editor-picked rooms for Bouchon French toast in Las Vegas are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Las Vegas signature-dishes index or the Las Vegas food guide.