• Savoury fennel and bacon bread and butter pudding

    Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 40 mins

    Ingredients

    • 5ml (1 tsp) butter
    • 5ml (1 tsp) crushed garlic
    • 125g streaky bacon, chopped
    • 80g red onion, diced
    • 180g fennel bulb, with +-10cm of the stem attached, thinly sliced
    • 5ml (1 tsp) fresh thyme leaves
    • 10ml (2 tsp) fresh chives, finely chopped
    • 190g ciabatta
    • 115g (½ cup) butter, at room temperature
    • 6 eggs
    • 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream
    • 375ml (1½ cups) milk
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • 170ml ( cup) Gruyère, finely grated
    • microherbs or fresh basil, to serve

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the oven to 180°C.

    2

    Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, bacon and onion, and fry until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.

    3

    Add the fennel together with the thyme and turn the heat up slightly in order for the fennel to caramelise and turn golden.

    4

    Fry until the fennel is tender, 10 – 15 minutes. Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the chives.

    5

    Cut the ciabatta into thick slices (about 2cm thick). Butter each slice and cut the bread into bite-size chunks. Add the bread to the fennel mixture and turn it all out into a 25 x 30cm ovenproof dish.

    6

    Whisk the eggs, cream and milk together, and season. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and fennel mixture, and place in the oven.

    7

    Cook for 20 minutes and sprinkle the cheese on top. Place back in the oven until the cheese has melted and the eggs have set.

    8

    Scatter microherbs or basil on top and serve immediately.

    Notes

    For a vegetarian alternative, leave out the bacon and replace with fried mushrooms or roasted butternut.