The Valle D'Aosta is a small, heavily forested Alpine region, tucked in between Piemonte and France, and it is blessed with both forests and moisture, the two primary requirements for wild mushrooms. The savory bread pudding is best with fresh porcini, though any flavorful wild mushroom will work.
Incidentally, The Valle D'Aosta was very poor, and bread puddings and soups were among the more common foods, and an excellent way of keeping precious bread from going to waste.
Incidentally, The Valle D'Aosta was very poor, and bread puddings and soups were among the more common foods, and an excellent way of keeping precious bread from going to waste.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/8 pounds (500 g) porcini or other fresh wild mushrooms
- 6 eggs
- 2/3 pound (300 g) stale bread
- 2/5 cup (100 ml) heavy cream
- 3/5 cup (150 ml) whole milk
- A heaping cup (60 g) freshly grated Grana Padana or Parmigiano
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
- A bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (50 g) unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Clean the mushrooms, thinly slice them, and sauté them in a tablespoon of butter, adding the garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring, season to taste with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low, and cook another 10 minutes, before adding the parsley.
Line a baking tin with buttered oven parchment. Slice the bread, and butter half of the slices before laying them in the baking tin. Spoon half the mushroom mix over them. Butter the remaining bread, lay it in the pan, and spoon the remaining mushroom mix over it.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Beat in the cream and milk, a pinch of nutmeg, and then stir in the grated cheese. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, making certain you cover the mushroomy bread evenly, and also that the mixture penetrates. Let the pan rest for a half hour.
While it's resting preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C). Bake the pudding for 35-40 minutes, and serve hot. The wine? Red, and I might be tempted by a Pinot Nero (or even a Burgundy) here.
Yield: 4 servings Mushroomy Valdostan Bread Pudding
Line a baking tin with buttered oven parchment. Slice the bread, and butter half of the slices before laying them in the baking tin. Spoon half the mushroom mix over them. Butter the remaining bread, lay it in the pan, and spoon the remaining mushroom mix over it.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Beat in the cream and milk, a pinch of nutmeg, and then stir in the grated cheese. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, making certain you cover the mushroomy bread evenly, and also that the mixture penetrates. Let the pan rest for a half hour.
While it's resting preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C). Bake the pudding for 35-40 minutes, and serve hot. The wine? Red, and I might be tempted by a Pinot Nero (or even a Burgundy) here.
Yield: 4 servings Mushroomy Valdostan Bread Pudding
