Parmigiano Reggiano Pancetta and Leek Ciabatta Bake
This easy-to-make family dish is made with torn-up ciabatta bread, leeks cooked in butter and little cubes of pancetta, with lots of grated Parmigiano Reggiano to create a glorious puffed-up savoury bread and butter pudding.
Ingredients
Method
Step 1
Grease a 1.5 litre baking dish with a little butter. Melt the remainder in a frying pan and gently fry the leeks for 6-8 minutes until softened, but not browned.
Step 2
Tear the ciabatta into small pieces and put a layer into the base of the baking dish. Scatter just over half of the leeks on top, then sprinkle with half the cheese.
Step 3
Arrange the remaining bread chunks on top, followed by the rest of the leeks.
Step 4
Beat the eggs and mustard together, then mix in the milk and single cream. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Step 5
Pour evenly over the bread, then scatter the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano on top, followed by the pancetta cubes.
Step 6
Cover and leave to stand for 20-30 minutes.
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan oven 170°C/Gas Mark 5.
Step 8
Remove the covering from the pudding and bake for 35-40 minutes, until puffed-up and golden brown. Serve at once.
Cook's Tip:
You can prepare the pudding several hours in advance (or even the day before). Just keep it covered and refrigerated until ready to cook. For a vegetarian version, simply omit the pancetta. Instead of ciabatta, you can use up bread that’s a little past its best – its dried texture soaks up more of the liquid. Simply substitute about 6 slices of bread from a large loaf, cut into triangles.
