Leek Bread Pudding is just as custards work well in the savory portion of the meal, although they’re more often served as a dessert, so do bread puddings. from Thomas Keller 

Ingredients 

Serves 12 as a side dish, 6 to 8 as a main course

2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices leeks

(white and light green parts only)

Kosher salt

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter

Freshly ground black pepper

12 cups 1-inch cubes crustless Brioche or

Pullman sandwich loaf

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

3 large eggs

3 cups whole milk

3 cups heavy cream

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup shredded Comté or Emmentaler cheese

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put the leek rounds in a large bowl of tepid water and swish so that any dirt falls to the bottom of the bowl.

3. Set a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, lift the leeks from the water, drain, and add them to the pan.

4. Season with salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.

5. As the leeks begin to soften, lower the heat to medium-low. The leeks will release liquid.

6. Stir in the butter to emulsify, and season with pepper to taste. Cover the pan with a parchment lid* and cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until the leeks are very soft, 30 to 35 minutes.

7. If at any point the butter breaks or looks oily, stir in about a tablespoon of water to re-emulsify the sauce.

8. Remove and discard the parchment lid.

9. Meanwhile, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until dry and pale gold. Transfer to a large bowl. Leave the oven on.

10. Add the leeks to the bread and toss well, then add the chives and thyme.

11. L ightly whisk the eggs in another large bowl. Whisk in the milk, cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.

12. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spread half the leeks and croutons in the pan and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Scatter the remaining leeks and croutons over and top with another 1/4 cup cheese. Pour in enough of the custard mixture to cover the bread and press gently on the bread so it soaks in the milk. Let soak for about 15 minutes.

13. Add the remaining custard, allowing some of the soaked cubes of bread to protrude. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top and sprinkle with salt.

14. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pudding feels set and the top is brown and bubbling.

Notes and Tips 

*To make a parchment lid, cut or tear a square of parchment bigger than the pot to be covered. Fold two opposite corners together to form a triangle, then fold this triangle

in half into a smaller triangle; it will have two short sides and one long side. Position the triangle so that one of the short sides faces you. Fold this bottom edge up, making

a narrow triangle, and crease it, maintaining the point of the triangle, as if you were making a paper airplane. Fold this “wing” over again, maintaining the point, and

continue folding in this manner until you get to the other side—about five or six folds in all. You should finish with a very slender triangle. To measure the size, place the tip

over the center of the pot to be covered, mark the edge of the pot with your thumb, and cut the end off here. Then cut a quarter inch off the tip. Unfold your triangle. It will be a circle the size of your pot, with a steam hole in the center. Place this paper lid in the pot so that it rests gently on the food you’re cooking.