[Savory] Bread Pudding and Bordeaux

Cool (and pretty odd) late August weather calls for savory bread pudding. Inspired by a savory breakfast bread pudding served during family meal (the meal they give us during our break), I wanted to do my own version. While I could do a typical savory bread pudding with sausage, celery, and cheese, I wanted to go outside my comfort zone and experiment with a protein I don’t cook with often, as well as add more seasonal vegetables. Playing with the gamey duck, roasted red peppers, sauteed swiss chard, and lighter, savory bread such as Tuscan Pane (as opposed to softer, sweeter bread like Challah) made the dish seem less heavy for the summer. To make it a little more “summery” and “breakfasty”, I made a tomato-maple sauce. The acidity and smokiness of charred grape tomatoes curbed the maple syrup. Talk about an eccentric but great oven creation.Thanks to the cooler weather and the use of duck, a medium-full bodied red wine was in order--particularly a left bank Bordeaux. Since left bank Bordeaux red blends are merlot and cabernet franc dominant, their baked fruit quality, clay backbone, and slightly grippy tannin would not overpower duck. The result: a savory, sweet pairing that works for both “breakfast for breakfast” and “breakfast for dinner”.Roasted Duck, Red Pepper, and Red Swiss Chard Bread PuddingServes: 6-8Ingredients

• 1 lb Duck breast
• 1 large Red bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
• 2 stalks Swiss chard, chiffonade
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup Lowfat milk
• 1 tbsp Unsalted butter
• ½ tbsp Sugar
• Salt to taste
• ½ loaf Tuscan Pane Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Tomato-maple sauce
  • 1 cup Grape tomatoes
  • ¼ cup Maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pan-sear duck breast* in a cast-iron skillet (Until a good medium-rare state since it’ll be cooked even more in the oven). Once off the stove, let it rest for 10 minutes before cubing. Reserve the duck fat.
2. With a small amount of the duck fat, sautée diced red peppers and minced garlic until fragrant (about 2 minutes)
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While oven is preheating, warm milk, butter, sugar, salt in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts.
4. Butter/spray a 9 inch x 13 inch casserole dish and layer with bread mixture, cubed duck breast, red bell pepper, and swiss chard.
5. Add egg to the milk mixture and whisk. Once well-integrated, pour mixture over the bread. (Note: You can put all of the mixture in or a little bit. It really depends how “custardy” you want your bread pudding.) Bake bread pudding for 30-45 minutes until custard is set and edges of bread have browned.
6. While bread pudding is baking, heat a small amount of duck fat in a cast-iron over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and sprinkle over salt and pepper. Toss the tomatoes around in the pan every few minutes until blistered and charred (about 6 minutes). Take off heat and cool before mixing with the maple syrup. Set sauce aside.*Recipe credit: The Health Foodie

About Haut-Segottes“Vigneronne extraordinare” Danielle Meunier is the fourth generation in her family to own, operate, and oversee the production of this estate located in the heart of the St. Emilion appellation. The quality of wines from this producer partly stems from the land’s sandy-clay subsoil, Danielle’s farming practices that takes into account the region’s changing climatic conditions, and resting in wood casks for at least 12 months. Although this wine can still sit for a few more years, this well-balanced cabernet franc and merlot blend bursts notes of raspberries, violets, and baking spices. Additional food pairings include roasted duck breast in plum sauce and a grilled cheese sandwich with roasted tomato soup.