Author: Carolyn Severin, Hamama Success Team Member

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus overnight soaking

Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Makes: 6- 10 Servings

The holidays are right around the corner and what better way to get everyone's taste buds rolling than with this delicious bread pudding! You can prepare this a day in advance so you aren’t rushing around in the kitchen when your loved ones arrive the day of. It’s so good you may just fill up on this only!

• 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, soaked, rinsed and chopped
• 1 cup water, boiled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ lb mixed mushrooms, chopped
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup leek microgreens, chopped
• 3 leeks, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 loaf of Brioche bread, cut into ½ inch thick slices
• 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese

Custard mixture:

• 6 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Garnish:

• Fresh sage
• Hamama leeks, carrot and/or celery microgreens
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil 1 cup of water in a small to medium-sized pot. Once it boils, turn off the heat and add your dried porcini mushrooms. Let the mushrooms soak for about 10 minutes or until soft.
2. Once cooled, drain the mushrooms from the liquid. Keep the liquid in a separate larger bowl, cover and set aside. Chop the mushrooms and set aside until ready to use.
3. Add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet over high heat and add the mixed mushrooms and cook until brown on each side, about 8 minutes.
4. Add your porcini mushrooms into the skillet along with your shallots, sage, leek microgreens and stir until your shallots are sauteed for about 5 minutes. Set aside in a bowl when ready.
5. In the same skillet, add in 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil again and add in your leeks. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your mushroom mixture to the leeks and stir to combine. Once mixed in well, remove from heat.
6. For the custard mixture: In a large bowl, add in your eggs, mushroom liquid, cream, milk, Gruyere cheese, cayenne pepper, salt and lots of black pepper. Whisk to blend.
7. Assemble: Grease a 9x13 baking pan with butter or olive oil. Add ¼ of the mushroom/leek mixture into the pan in an even layer. Add the brioche bread slices in an overlapping pattern. Add the remaining mushroom/leek mixture over top of the bread and then slowly pour the custard mixture over the top evenly (make sure the cheese is spread out evenly as well). Cover your bread pudding with foil, place it in the fridge and let it sit overnight.
8. When you are ready to bake the bread pudding, let it sit out for about 30 minutes at room temperature and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
9. Before placing in the oven, top your pudding with parmesan cheese then let it bake for 40 minutes with the foil still covering it.
10. Once 40 minutes are up, take the foil off and let it cook 5 -10 minutes longer.
11. After you’ve let it sit uncovered for a few minutes, you can then turn on the broiler to low and let the top really crisp up just for a minute or two. When your bread pudding is ready, turn off the oven, take it out and let it cool.
12. Cut into squares and garnish each serving with Hamama leek, carrot and/or celery microgreens, fresh sage and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!