Savory Bread Pudding: The new starchy side dish

One more today, and then I'm taking a break. I don't know that I've ever made bread pudding for dessert, much less as a side dish. But when we saw Ina Garten's Leek and Artichoke Bread Pudding recently (you guessed it, in FNM), we knew we needed to add it to our mini Thanksgiving menu.

We did make a few variations, but nothing major. We used about 3 leeks, but all of it instead of just the white and light green parts. Next time I'd leave the dark green bits out like the recipe said. The flavor was good, but the texture of the dark green leeks wasn't as good as the rest...it stayed tougher instead of getting soft.

Also, we used jarred artichokes instead of frozen, and they worked just fine in our opinion. We had the deli cut a big chunk of fresh Swiss cheese as we didn't see one labeled as Emmentaler. I doubt it made a difference at all.

Oh my goodness. I don't think I can go back to sweet bread puddings. This was amazing. Rich, filling, but oh so amazing. I would easily make it again, though like the previous mashed potatoes, half a recipe would be more than enough to feed just Mike and I. Duly noted for  next time, but this time we enjoyed days of leftovers.

I was incredibly pleased as well to note that my finished product looked so much like the finished product in the magazine. I mean, how often does this really happen?

I was tickled when emailing with my old boss just after trying this. I commented about the new recipe and how tasty it was, and she replied that savory bread puddings were "the new starchy side dish." If the rest of them are like this one, I can see why!

Leek and Artichoke Bread Pudding

8 cups (1-inch-diced) day-old bakery white bread, crusts removed
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
6 cups (½-inch-diced) leeks, white and light green parts (5 leeks)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
4 extra-large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups grated Emmentaler Swiss cheese (8 ounces)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes, tossing once, until lightly browned. Place the pancetta in one layer on another sheet pan and bake in the same oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Place the pancetta on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Soak the leeks in water until they're clean, and spin them dry in a salad spinner. Heat the butter in an 11-inch pot over medium heat; add the leeks and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook for 5 minutes, until the wine almost evaporates and the leeks are tender. Off the heat, mix in the artichokes, toasted bread cubes, chives and tarragon.

Whisk the eggs, cream, chicken stock, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Spoon half of the bread mixture into a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half the Emmentaler and add the remaining bread mixture. Pour on the cream mixture, sprinkle with the remaining Emmentaler and press lightly to help the bread absorb the liquid. Dice or crumble the pancetta, scatter on top and sprinkle with pepper. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the cream mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and the bread pudding is puffed and golden. Serve hot.

 

Make it ahead: Assemble the bread pudding and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bake before serving.