A cheeky reworking of this classic English pudding as a savoury dish, this version of bread and butter pudding is also an ideal way to combine quotidian ingredients with those on the cusp of no longer being useful, thereby reducing food waste.
Bread and butter pudding needs no introduction. Perhaps less so the bad pun in the title. It's all about this end-of-the-pier sketch about bread and butter pudding involving a ventriloquist... No, don't bother: not everything has made it on to YouTube.
As with the better known sweet dish, this is an ideal way to make use of stale bread. More importantly, it doesn't require any fancy bread. More specifically, this dish actually works better with common-or-garden white or brown bread rather than fancy sourdoughs or pain de campagne. Yes, bog standard works very well, thank you very much.
This recipe is for three to four diners. Yes, you know that warning about doing the maths.
Shopping list
for the pudding
6 slices of brown or white bread; stale or not
5 or 6 large, thick rashers of smoked bacon
1 large white or red onion, cubed
Approx. 150g mushrooms, sliced
2 tbspn unsalted butter
3 tspn Worcestershire Sauce
Approx. 100g mature cheddar (or similar), grated
Approx. 250g asparagus (or the equivalent in spinach)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 handful of walnuts, crushed in a mortar with a pestle
2 eggs
Half a cup of full fat milk
for the side dish
This is pretty much up to your preferences. I suggest fresh, green vegetables in the warmer months; peas, broccoli, savoy cabbage or courgettes.
In colder, autumnal months, consider pumpkin, squash or mashed swede. However, with its intrinsic bread content, this is a fairly "carb-heavy" dish by nature. So, maybe take that into consideration.
Cooking Method
Cook the bacon first, ideally by grilling (or by frying with a tiny bit of butter). You can do this while you prepare the dish or before. Either way, allow to cool before cooking the rest of the dish
Briefly cook the asparagus (or spinach) by steaming in a microwave or traditional steamer for the appropriate duration, until soft and clearly cooked
In a small non-stick saucepan, heat two thirds of the butter until it bubbles. Add the cubed onion and allow to sweat. Once the onions are softened but not yet brown, add the sliced mushrooms and stir in thoroughly. When both are cooking well, add the Worcestershire Sauce and stir regularly until it cooks into the mixture. Remove from the heat once cooked
After (or during) the onions and mushrooms cooking, butter the slices of bread on one side and cut diagonally. Lay into a shallow oven dish, layering at irregular angles
Sprinkle with the cooked onion and mushroom mixture, the sliced cooked asparagus/spinach and cheese. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper and a little salt. Build up a second layer, repeating the process
Take the walnuts you've crushed into rough pieces (not so fine as a powder) over the top
Finally, whisk the eggs in a jug and add the milk to create something akin to a quiche mixture. Gently pour over the contents of the ceramic baking dish, allowing the bread to soak up the liquid
Bake in the middle of a pre-heated oven at a medium heat for 20 to 30min or until the egg mixture is moist, but entirely cooked
While the bread and butter pudding is cooking, prepare the vegetables. In the case of green vegetables such as peas, this might be as simple as steaming. But, if opting for courgettes and broccoli, try a different approach. Heat a little butter or olive oil in a pan and then add the courgettes. Sauté in the French manner until these begin to soften. Add the broccoli or cabbage, ideally previously steamed, and stir in until fully cooked
Remove the pudding from the oven and plate. Plate or decant the vegetables to a serving dish.
Variations
To make this dish vegetarian, simple leave out the bacon and ensure that you use a vegetarian cheese, but ideally one with a strong flavour.
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