
Leek
Bread Pudding
By Chef Thomas Keller,
The French Laundry, Yountville, CA
This is a great salad by Thomas Keller. It's got several
steps, but the end result is amazing.
SERVES:
12 AS A SIDE DISH, 6 TO 8 AS A MAIN COURSE
Ingredients:
2 cups 1/2-inch-thick Leeks Slices (white and light green
parts only)
Kosher Salt
4 tbls. (2 ounces) Unsalted Butter
Black Pepper (freshly ground)
12 cups 1-inch cubes crustless Brioche (page 272) or Pullman
sandwich loaf
1 tbls. Chives (finely chopped)
1 tspn. Thyme Leaves
3 large Eggs
3 cups Whole Milk
3 cups Heavy Cream
Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1 cup Shredded Comté or Emmentaler
Just as
custards work well in the savory portion of the meal,
although they're more often served as a dessert, so do
bread puddings. This one is a great complement to the
Blowtorch Prime Rib Roast (page 56) and Pan-Roasted Duck
Breasts (page 35). But you could also top it with Oven-Roasted
Tomatoes (page 262) and serve it as a vegetarian meal.
Procedures:
1. Preheat
the oven to 350°F.
2. Put the
leek rounds in a large bowl of tepid water and swish so
that any dirt falls to the bottom of the bowl. Set a medium
sauté pan over medium-high heat, lift the leeks
from the water, drain, and add them to the pan. Season
with salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
As the leeks begin to soften, lower the heat to medium-low.
3. The leeks
will release liquid. Stir in the butter to emulsify, and
season with pepper to taste. Cover the pan with a parchment
lid (see page 120), and cook, stirring every 10 minutes,
until the leeks are very soft, 30 to 35 minutes. If at
any point the butter breaks or looks oily, stir in about
a tablespoon of water to re-emulsify the sauce. Remove
and discard the parchment lid.
4. Meanwhile,
spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in
the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan about
halfway through, until dry and pale gold. Transfer to
a large bowl. Leave the oven on.
5.
Add the leeks to the bread and toss well,
then add the chives and thyme. Lightly whisk the eggs
in another large bowl. Whisk in the milk, cream, a generous
pinch of salt, pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.
6. Sprinkle
1/4 cup of the cheese in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch
baking pan. Spread half the leeks and croutons in the
pan and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Scatter
the remaining leeks and croutons over and top with another1/4
cup cheese. Pour in enough of the custard mixture to cover
the bread and press gently on the bread so it soaks in
the milk. Let soak for about 15 minutes.
7. Add the
remaining custard, allowing some of the soaked cubes of
bread to protrude. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese
on top and sprinkle with salt.
8. Bake
for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pudding feels set and the
top is brown and bubbling.
Excerpted from AD HOC AT HOME by Thomas Keller (Artisan
Books).
Copyright
2009.
Deborah
Jones photographer
Edited
by FBWorld Team
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Links
to more Thomas Keller Recipes:
Braised
Stuffed Pig’s Head with Sauce Gribiche
Bittersweet
Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Sable Cookie
Broccolini
Salad with Burrata Cheese - (new)
Buttermilk
Biscuits - (new)
Buttermilk
Fried Chicken - (new)
Creamy
Maine Lobster Broth, Russet Potato and Lobster Coral Gnocchi
Foie
Gras Infused Custard with White Wine Poached Anjou Pears
Iceberg
Lettuce Slices with Blue Cheese Dressing, Oven-Roasted
Tomatoes, Bacon, and Brioche Croutons - (new)
Leek
Bread Pudding - (new)
Milk
Poached Wild Turbot with "Foie Gras" and Sweet
Onion "Cracklings" and Foie Gras Emulsion
Nantes
Carrot Stew - (new)
Pig’s
Feet with French Green Lentils
Pork
and Beans
Sautéed
Gulf White Shrimp* with Jasmine Rice, Raisins and Spicy
Shrimp Broth
Scallion
Potato Cakes - (new)
“Surf
and Turf" Pan Roasted “Filet Mignon" of
Veal with a Maine Lobster “Pancake", Clam Shell
Mushrooms and Sauce “Homardine"
Sweet
Butter Braised Maine Lobster with Baby Arrow-leaf Spinach
and a Saffron-Vanilla Sauce
Other
Related Links:
Thomas
Keller: Ad Hoc at Home
Bringing
Home the Bacon
The
Great Chefs Series
Chef
Thomas Keller
Thomas
Keller Joins The Culinary Institute of America Board of
Trustees

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