Cooking Outside the Box

I buy nice large loaves of freshly baked rye bread with seeds for my avocado toast, but by the time I get to the ends, they are too dry and small for toast. I started saving them in the freezer thinking I could use them for croutons, but as the freezer bag began to be full, I tried to think of something more useful for these delicious bread cubes. I decided to design a savory bread pudding recipe with Portuguese ingredients. We had it for dinner tonight and declared it a winner, although my husband said, “Isn't this stuffing?” Shhhhh....eat your bread pudding!

Click through the photos for explanations.

Portuguese-style Savory Bread Pudding
Chef Cynthia Wilson
Cooking Outside the Box

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces (225 grams) Portuguese chouriço, cut into coins
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 to ½ teaspoon piri piri powder (or other chili powder), adjusting amount for your heat tolerance. I used 1/8 teaspoon.
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch finely shredded dark green Portuguese cabbage o (as used in Caldo Verde) You can find this already shredded in markets. In the other countries, use kale.
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (400 milliliters) heavy cream
1 cup (230 ml) chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 cups (400 grams) 1-inch cubes of dark rye bread with seeds
2 cups (8 ounces/225 grams) Portuguese cheese of your choice, diced
1/2 cup (50 grams) Portuguese cheese of your choice, diced for topping.

Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook the chouriço coins on medium-high heat until the fat has rendered, 5-7 minutes. Set aside on paper towels.

2. In the same pan, add the piri piri chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon and bay leaf. Add the onion and garlic and saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Fold the greens in, tossing until they wilt, 1-2 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, chicken stock, cinnamon, and salt. Fold in the bread and stir until the cubes are thoroughly moistened. Let stand at least 1 hour. It is important that the bread is thoroughly moistened. You can cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a large rectangular casserole dish with butter.

5. Gently fold the cabbage, chouriço, and cheese cubes into the bread mixture. Transfer the bread pudding in the butter greased baking dish, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Uncover and top with the reserved cheese cubes and bake for another 20 minutes, until the top is crips, the cheese is melted and the bread pudding is slightly springy to the touch, not wet.
7. For easier cutting, let set for about ten minutes while you make a green salad.

Here in Portugal, we eat a lot of cheese that comes with a tasty rind. Some people eat the rind and others cut it off. For those cheeses where I cut it off, I save the rinds in the freezer. Then, when I make a cream soup or sauce, I whisk one or two pieces into the hot liquid. They add creaminess, flavor and saltiness. Here, I used them in my Creamy Chicken soup with Gnocchi. The chicken broth is flavored with garlic, shallots, celery, vermouth, and herbes de Provence, and the cheese rinds. I then add cream, gnocchi and the cooked chicken, warm through, and top with fresh tarragon. If you want a more complete recipe, I'll make one.

Meal #6 of the After Thanksgiving Turkey Meal Challenge: Creamy Italian Turkey Soup with Tortellini. My extra turkey has given us six leftover turkey meal ideas Meal #1 was slice of turkey, roasted potatoes and parsnips and multicolored carrots with African spices. Meal #2 was Turkey and Noodles. Meal #3 was Second Thanksgiving with Turkey, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy with Spouts. Meal #4 was Turkey Enchiladas. Meal #5 was Turkey Rice Casserole.