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Savory Bread Pudding

Source of Recipe

From "The New Orleans Kitchen" by Justin Devillier


Recipe Introduction

"You don't see as many savory bread puddings as you do sweet ones, and that's a shame, because it's a fantastic way to use up old bread, which I always seem to have around. The combination of the aromatics here and the custardy texture make this a worthwhile starch in lieu of a rice or pasta dish. It's particularly awesome when served with meat dishes that have a lot of gravy or sauce. It functions like a Yorkshire pudding, soaking up all of the savory juices. Sometimes I even smother it with demi-glace, or a variation of a red wine and mushroom gravy or chicken velouté, a rich white sauce made with chicken stock and roux. But this bread pudding is flavorful enough to stand on its own side, with or without toppings."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦  2 cups heavy cream
â—¦  2 cups whole milk
â—¦  3 eggs
â—¦  12 cups day-old crusty bread, torn into rough 1-inch cubes
â—¦  1 teaspoon chopped garlic
â—¦  1 tablespoon minced shallot
â—¦  2 teaspoon thyme leaves
â—¦  2 teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦  Freshly cracked black pepper


Recipe

Coat the inside of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with the butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream, milk, and eggs, whisking to combine until smooth and lump-free. Add the bread, garlic, shallot, thyme, salt, and a few grinds of pepper.

Using clean hands, work this mixture together until evenly combined and the bread is saturated with the cream and eggs; give the bread a few squeezes to help it develop a spongelike feel and soak up the creamy coating.

Transfer the bread mixture to the prepared casserole dish and place in the refrigerator to soak for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 2 hours. This soak will help the bread pudding get that custardy, creamy, pudding texture while it bakes.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Remove the dish from the refrigerator and cover with foil.

Bake for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the pudding is golden brown around the edges, but the center is still slightly jiggly and custardlike. Serve hot. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 300° F oven.

Makes 8 servings