Rabanada is the Portuguese equivalent of French toast, also known as Tipsy Slices. To make it, you take slices of wheat bread and soak them in milk, wine, or sugar, slather them with eggs and fry them. When ready, they are usually coated in sugar and/or cinnamon, or drizzled in honey.
This is a Portuguese tradition, and was originally created as a dish made with stale bread, in order to use food slightly gone bad instead of throwing it away.
Recipe
1 French loaf (one day-old bread is best)
2 eggs
125ml milk
5ml grated lemon rind
oil for frying
Syrup
500g sugar
250ml water
1 stick cinnamon
50ml Port wine
Cut the bread into slices about 2 cm thick. Beat the eggs and place in a soup plate. Mix the milk amd lemon rind and pour into a separate soup plate. Dip the bread slices into the milk and then the beaten egg. Fry in hot oil. Drain well.
To make the syrup, boil the sugar and water for 3 minutes. Dip each fried bread into the hot syrup and then place in a deep serving bowl. Add the cinnamon stick and Port wine to the remaining syrup, bring to the boil and pour over the slices of bread.
Variation
Sprinkle the bread with cinnamon and sugar after frying.
These tipsy slices can also be dipped in red wine.