A friend served this last weekend. I'm not usually a fan of bread pudding, but I liked this, so asked her to send me the recipe.
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 oz dried mushrooms
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, cut into small slices
1/2 tbsp. minced shallots
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3 oz. fresh wild mushrooms, sliced
(I used oyster and woodear)
1 tbsp. molasses
3 beaten eggs
1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning
Tabasco sauce to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups diced bread
2 tbsps. grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Bring cream and dried mushrooms to a boil in a
heavy saucepan. Remove from pan and let cool. In a saute pan or
skillet over medium heat, saute the onion, shallots, and garlic until
the onion is slightly carmelized, about 3-4 minutes. Add the fresh
mushrooms and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the molasses
and seasoning. Let cool.
Strain the cream through a fine meshed sieve into the egg mixture.
Season the mixture with Creole seasoning, Tabasco, Worcestershire,
salt and pepper. Add the bread to the egg-cream mixture and let soak
for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the mushroom mixture and season. Fill four
4-oz buttered molds and top with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil
and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake an additional
2 minutes to brown.
Let sit 2-3 minutes then unmold and serve warm. Serves 4.