Picatostes Madrileños
(pee-kah-TOHS-tehs mah-dree-LEHN-yohs)
Mañanas y Meriendas: The Rhythms of Morning and Afternoon
Walk the narrow streets off Madrid’s Puerta del Sol at four in the afternoon, and the air smells like hot olive oil, caramelized sugar, and melting chocolate. Before they were café staples, picatostes were a thrifty cook's way to stretch a stale baguette. Unlike the egg-soaked torrijas of the north, a true Madrid picatoste relies on a brief milk dip and a quick fry. The heavy skillet comes out, the hot oil sputters, and the kitchen slows down. Dip them in the cup while the crust still burns your fingers.
Before you start
Stale the bread overnight.
For the perfect texture, slice your rustic loaf the day before and leave it exposed on the counter so the starches can crystallize and firm up.
Ingredients
- stale rustic country bread4 large slices
- whole milk1/2 cup
- light olive oil1/2 cup
- fresh lemon peel1 large strip
- granulated white sugar1/2 cup
- ground cinnamon1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Aromatize the frying oil.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Carefully drop in the lemon peel, letting it sizzle for 2 to 3 minutes to perfume the fat and temper any bitter edge, then remove and discard.
- 02
Baptize the bread.
Pour the milk into a shallow dish. Working in quick batches, dip each bread baton into the milk for exactly one second per side—a fleeting kiss of moisture to steam the interior without disintegrating the crumb.
- 03
Fry until golden.
Immediately lay the moistened bread into the hot oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning with tongs, until a deep, even golden brown and perfectly crisp.
- 04
Toss in sugar.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a wide, shallow bowl. Remove the bread from the skillet, tap off excess oil, and briefly rest on a paper towel for five seconds before immediately tossing in the sugar mixture to create a crunchy, crystallized crust.
Notes
The indispensable chocolate.
Picatostes require thick, pudding-like Spanish hot chocolate for dipping. Heat 2 cups whole milk, 4 ounces chopped dark chocolate, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan. Thicken with a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and a splash of cold milk until viscous.
Bread choice is critical.
Standard American sandwich bread will dissolve into a greasy sponge in the oil. You need a dense, artisan rustic loaf or country sourdough to maintain structure.
From Cook Spanish in America.