SAVOURY BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING
This savoury bread and butter pudding features sourdough bread and is full of garlic, cheese, mushrooms and chorizo.
Are you a fan of regular bread and butter pudding? It’s not something I’ve eaten a lot of in the past, but I was keen to try something a little different this week!
The savoury version isn’t too dissimilar to a frittata or quiche. A flavoursome topping of mushrooms, chorizo and cheese means no skimping on flavour.
Make sure it’s cooked all the way through before slicing and serving, otherwise you’ll end up with a soggy centre (speaking from experience – not pleasant!). It should be a little custardy in the middle, but not runny.
A simple mesclun, pear and avocado salad is the perfect way to add some greens.
This meal is a great one to make ahead. You will need to bake it (so the bread doesn’t disintegrate), but then you can refrigerate and reheat in the oven when needed. Cover with foil for most of the reheating time, to avoid over-browning.
SAVOURY BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING
Bread and butter pudding doesn’t just have to be for dessert! This savoury version features sourdough bread and is full of garlic, cheese, mushrooms and chorizo.
Ingredients
SAVOURY PUDDING
- Cooking oil spray
- 400 g sourdough or white bread (14oz)
- 2 Tbsp garlic butter (optional)
- 1 1/4 cups grated tasty cheddar cheese, divided (125g)
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk (375ml)
- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 250 g portobello mushrooms (8.8oz)
- 150 g chorizo (5.3oz)
- 1 brown onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
SALAD
- 80 g mesclun lettuce (2.8oz)
- 1 avocado
- 1 pear
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180ºC (360ºF) fan bake. Spray a large (approximately 25cm / 10in square) oven dish with cooking oil spray.
MAKE PUDDING
Thickly slice the sourdough. Spread with garlic butter, if using, and cut or tear into roughly 2cm / 1in pieces. Place half of the bread in the prepared dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over the top, then add remaining bread.
In a large jug, whisk eggs, milk, 1/2 cup cheese, mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper together. Pour over the bread and leave to sit while you cook the mushrooms.
Slice mushrooms, dice chorizo and onion into small pieces, and crush garlic. Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium-high. Add mushrooms, chorizo, onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden and excess liquid has disappeared from pan (about 10 minutes).
Spoon mushroom mixture over pudding and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top. Bake for 35 minutes, until pudding is golden brown and just set in the centre.
PREPARE SALAD
Meanwhile, divide lettuce between individual serving plates. Slice avocado and pear and arrange on top. Drizzle with oil and vinegar/glaze.
SERVE
Slice cooked bread and butter pudding and serve with salad.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Try a Chardonnay.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use your favourite gluten-free white bread. Make sure chorizo is gluten-free.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: It doesn’t matter if you use stale bread (in fact, it usually produces better results). Omit the mushrooms if you don’t like them - trying adding a layer of baby spinach with the first layer of cheese instead, and sprinkle some on top too. You could swap the chorizo for the same quantity of bacon or 400g / 14oz regular sausages.
MAKE IT VEGETARIAN: For a non-meat option, you could add a sprinkle of feta on top instead of the chorizo.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store savoury bread and butter pudding separate from salad. Pudding is best reheated in the oven (cover with foil to avoid over-browning). Also delicious broken up and heated in a frying pan! Assemble salad just before serving.
