#leek bread pudding

[foodfuck]

[thisfellow]

Leek Bread Pudding

I recently made yet another recipe from Thomas Keller's "Ad Hoc at Home":  Leek Bread Pudding!  More pictures and full recipe, after the jump. 

Leek Bread Pudding adapted from Thomas Keller's "Ad Hoc at Home."

What you neeeeeed: 2 cups 1/2" thick sliced leeks (using the white and light green parts only) 4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter 12 cups 1" cubes crustless brioche (or baker's loaf from your market). 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives (I used fresh parsley)  1 teaspoon thyme leaves  3 large eggs 3 cups whole milk 3 cups heavy cream Pinch of nutmeg 1 cup Gruyere (Keller suggests Comté or Emmentaler) Kosher salt and pepper to taste.

First things first, preheat the oven!  Get it going around 350F. Now is the time to prepare the leeks.  They're delicious, simple to cook and lots of fun to clean - yes, I am a loser.  You want to be certain to cut off any of the outer, darker ends of the leaves because this part is typically too tough to cook or eat, leaving only the white rooty bottom and the lighter green stems. Split each leek down the middle, length-wise, and hold at the base, rinsing each layer under water.  There will be a lot of sand, so clean well!  Keller suggests a nice alternative:  simply cut the leeks into the 1/2" slices and drop in a deep bowl, filled with cool water.  Allow the leeks to sit, agitating the water to force the sand to settle at the bottom.  Your choice! Saute the leeks in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, seasoning with salt, while stirring often until soft.  When they get soft, lower the heat and stir in the butter to emulsify with the liquid released from the leeks.  Season.  Cover the pan with a lid and cook, stirring about every 10 minutes. While this is cooking, cut your bread into the cubes, throw on a baking sheet and lightly oil and season with salt and pepper.  You want to toss these in the oven to toast, cooking about 20 minutes, rotating halfway through the cycle.  Cook until golden brown and incredible.   Add the leek to the croutons in a large mixing bowl and toss well, adding the chives (parsley) and thyme. In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and cream together, adding salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.    Sprinkle some cheese on the bottom of the baking pan, add crouton/leek combintion and add more cheese, layering once more with the last of the crouton/leek mixture.  Top with even more of the cheese.  Pour in enough custard mixture to cover the bread and press it down to soak.  Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then add the remaining custard.  Let some of the cubes protrude and top with the last of the cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and more herbs, if you'd like.   Bake for about an hour and a half, or until the dish is bubbly, brown and set.   

NOTE:  As you can see in the photographs, Keller's dish is perfect.  He neglected to mention, though, how much the custard expands while baking it!  So, while Keller has this awesome, tiny Bread pudding dish, mine is huge and massive and great in every way.  Win-win, in my book.