By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up minorgan@yahoo.ca
BREAD PUDDING
Hands down this is one of my favourite desserts of all time and when prepared properly it’s a little piece of ‘heaven’ if you ignore, just for a moment, its calorie index which is off the charts! As Julia Child said “everything in moderation!”
I started making this piece of pillowy sticky goodness some 13 years ago after a visit to a small cafe in the French Quarter in New Orleans and it has followed me at every restaurant I have had since. It doesn’t come close to its poor cousin bread and butter pudding that I was sadly exposed to during my childhood in the UK. The trick to making this far superior version is in the bread. It must not be broken down into too small pieces and don’t let it sit in the custard mix too long or the result will be much too dense, you are looking for an almost soufflé texture once it’s cooked.
Oh yes, let’s not forget the crowning touch of any ‘southern’ bread pudding….the sauce, this one is insanely rich and spiked with bourbon. Garnish it with some fresh berries to cut some of the sweetness, some chopped pecans to add that crunchy texture and sprinkle it with powdered sugar and…..Enjoy!
A Sacred Piece of Southern Culinary Lore
While in New Orleans I learned this valuable lesson in diction. You can always tell a northerner from a southerner by the way they pronounce ‘pecan’. Southerners say ‘pe-caan’ while northerners prefer ‘pee-can’, which to the southerner is not something you eat, but something you store under your bedat night to relieve yourself !
Ingredients
4 eggs
1 litre milk
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 day old French baguette
Raisins and chopped pecans
Brown sugar
Sauce
4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1lb butter unsalted
Bourbon
Method
Whisk together well milk, eggs and sugar till sugar is almost dissolved in the mix. Whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Break up baguette and soak in custard mix briefly. Pour into greased baking pan mixing with your hands to evenly disburse custard mix. Mix in some raisins if you like and top with chopped pecans and a sprinkling of brown sugar.
For the sauce place sugar and eggs in food processor and buzz till sugar is completely dissolved (a good 2 minutes). Melt butter and drizzle into the processor while still running. Let it process for 3 or 4 minutes on high till sugar is melted and completely dissolved in mix. Finally add some bourbon and buzz to incorporate. Do not store this sauce in the refrigerator or it will solidify and be unusable. It can be refrigerated and reheated in the oven for future use. When reheating it glaze it with a bit of the sauce before putting it in the oven then add more sauce for serving once its heated through. never warm the sauce or it will separate and be destroyed!
