Side Dishes that Steal the Show
Though the Thanksgiving turkey gets most of the press, side dishes are generally the part of the meal that allow for the most experimentation—and garner the most loyal followers. To liven up your tabl...
Josh Brownell, executive chef at 10-01 Food & Drink, offers up his cranberry-basil bread pudding, a twist on traditional stuffing. Made with bread, mirepoix and other seasonings, this dish might seem similar to stuffing. But because it's custard-based, it's technically a bread pudding, which keeps the peace in Brownell's family.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: Makes 12 servings
- 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 head celery, cleaned and diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup white cooking wine
- 6 eggs
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 2 pounds soft pretzels or pretzel buns, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup sun-dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons basil, cut chiffonade style
Instructions
1. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the carrots, celery and onions. Continue to sauté until the onions become translucent. This is when they have released the unpleasant acids that make you cry.
2. Add the garlic, celery salt and white pepper to the pan. Mix until the vegetables are well coated.
3. Add the wine and deglaze the bottom of pan.
4. Allow the wine to reduce, then remove from heat. Spread the mixture on a plate or tray and allow to cool to room temperature.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs and cream and whisk together until smooth.
6. In another large mixing bowl, combine the cubed bread, cranberries, basil and cooled vegetables.
7. Pour the cream and eggs over the bread mixture and allow to sit for 15 minutes or until the bread has soaked up the liquid.
8. Transfer the mix to a greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
9. Remove the foil top and bake for an additional 5–10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
10. Allow to cool. Cut into desired portions.
About the Dish...
"My father has a pretty world-famous stuffing, so I don't step on his toes," says Brownell, executive chef at 10-01 Food & Drink, a new Broad Ripple spot serving updated comfort food (1001fooddrink.com).
"Custard doesn't have to be sweet; it can be savory," Brownell explains. His savory version is made with pretzel bread, which Brownell chose for its doughy, challah-like consistency that easily soaks up the custard.
Want to sample it before trying out the recipe at home? The bread pudding is on the menu at 10-01, where it's served on top of a Maple Leaf Farms duck burger. Brownell says it's just as delicious with turkey.
For Brownell, the dried cranberries in the recipe are a nostalgic nod to the canned cranberries on the Thanksgiving tables of his youth.
Recipe by Josh Brownell of 10-01 Food & Drink / Words by Kira Bennett & Erica Sagon
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