11145 Mushroom and Fennel Bread Pudding 1 hr 10 mins 20 mins 8 to 10 servings Tue Oct 09 17:35:00 -0700 2007 Thu Nov 19 17:10:23 -0800 2009 Medium American CHOW http://www.chow.com/recipes/11145 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:10:23 GMT Loaded with herbs and pecorino Loaded with herbs and pecorino. Stuffing is essential on the Thanksgiving table, loaded as it is with bread and just enough vegetables to sop up gravy while feigning healthiness. To switch things up, and to offer the noncarnivores a chance at a real meal, try this bread pudding (and use vegetable or mushroom broth instead of chicken). Filled with sautéed mushrooms, fennel, pecorino cheese, and a light custard that holds it all together, this is sure to be a hit among meat eaters and vegetarians alike.

What to buy: Pecorino is a sheep’s milk cheese from Italy. Here we used Gran Pecorino, an aged cheese that can be found at high-end groceries and cheese stores. Do not use Pecorino Romano for this recipe; it’s too salty. If you can’t find Gran Pecorino, aged Asiago is a good substitute.

Game plan: Use mushroom broth instead of chicken broth to make this vegetarian.

The bread pudding can be baked up to 1 day ahead and brought to room temperature or warmed in a 350°F oven prior to serving.

This recipe was featured as part of our Neoslacker Interactive Thanksgiving.

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  • Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When butter foams, add onion, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, fennel, and celery; season well with salt and pepper; and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and mushroom juices have reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly in the pan, at least 10 minutes.
  • Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter and set aside. Whisk together cream, chicken broth, and eggs in a large bowl until smooth.
  • Add bread, cooled vegetables, cheese, and herbs to cream mixture and stir until bread is well coated. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then turn into the prepared baking dish. Allow bread to soak until well saturated, at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring about 10 cups water to a simmer over high heat in a large pot.
  • Once bread has soaked and water is simmering, set the baking dish in a large roasting pan and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until custard is set and top is lightly browned, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com/assets/2008/11/stuffing290.jpg Aida Mollenkamp 51 Side Dish 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

    ]]>     54 3/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion

    ]]>     30 12 ounces coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms (about 4 cups)

    ]]>     71 2 cups coarsely chopped fennel (from 1 medium bulb)

    ]]>     121 2/3 cup finely chopped celery (from 2 medium stalks)

    ]]>     2 cups heavy cream

    ]]>     127 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable stock)

    ]]>     4 large eggs

    ]]>     12 ounces ciabatta or other country-style bread, medium dice (about 8 cups)

    ]]>     1 cup coarsely grated aged pecorino (about 3 ounces), such as Gran Pecorino (not Pecorino Romano)

    ]]>     203 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

    ]]>     219 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves

    ]]>     435 vegetarian 418 dairy 256 cheese 144 egg 244 parsley 184 vegetables 231 light meal 757 lunch 21 main 19 bread 384 easy 822 american 752 euro 1567 fusion 273 party 755 travels well 156 bake 1 chow 2395 aida mollenkamp 1021 comfort 1046 cold weather 782 autumn 1473 casserole 1031 cozy 419 cream 686 creamy 501 entertaining 751 elegant 504 herbs 236 vegetable 11119 weekend 213 thanksgiving 216 holiday 2747 make ahead 23680 affordable 1063 bread pudding 366 mushrooms