"Puding" od hleba i praziluka/Leek Bread Pudding

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U nasoj porodici samo mama jede hleb. Deca i tata ga jedu u minimalnim kolicinama... ne mozete ni zamisliti sta sve moja porodica moze da jede bez hleba ;) A i tu postoji jedan problem, ja ne volim stari hleb a pod stari racunam i hleb star jedan dan. Znam da je taj mnogo bolja varijanta, ali sta da radim jednostavno ga ne volim. E, sad mozete zamisliti koliko se hleba kod nas skupi za tri dana. Bude mi zao da ga neprestano bacam u kantu za smece (zivotinja nemamo) pa sam non-stop u potrazi za nekim finim nacinom kako da ga upakujem i da se ipak pojede :)
Jedan od boljih recepata je i ovaj, za mene potpuno nov i neobican ali isto tako i veoma ukusan nacin da se resite ostataka hleba.



Potrebno:
2,5 dl praziluka isecenog na tanke kolutove, koristiti samo beli i svetlo zeleni deo
gruba so
2 kasike neslanog putera
mleveni biber
6 solja (od 2,5 dl) hleba isecenog na kockice 2,5x2,5 cm
2 kasikice sitne seckanog vlasca
2 kasicice sveze majcine dusice (timijana)
1 vece jaje
1 vece zumance
3 solje (od 2,5 dl) punomasnog mleka ili slatke pavlake sa vecim procentom masnoce ili kombinaciju
muskatni orascic
½ solje (od 2,5 dl) rendanog sira (ja sam stavila malo vise)



Priprema:
Iscediti praziluk od vode pa ga prebaciti u tiganj. Posoliti i proprziti, oko 5 minuta, na srednjoj vatri da malo omeksa. Smanjiti vatru, umesati puter, poklopiti pa prziti 20-ak minuta ili dok praziluk ne bude u potpunosti mekan (povremeno promesati i proveriti da ne zagori). Posoliti i pobiberiti.
Zagrejati rernu na 175 stepeni.
Kockice hleba rasporediti na dno pleha pa ih peci dok se ne isuse i porumene, oko 15-20 minuta. Na polovini pecenja okrenuti pleh. Pecene kockice hleba prebaciti u vecu posudu, rernu ostaviti ukljucenu.
Izmesati hleb sa prazilukom, dodati vlasac, majcinu dusicu pa sve dobro izmesati. U drugoj posudi lagano umutiti jaje, zumance, dodati mleko ili slatku pavlaku, posoliti, pobiberiti i dodati malo muskatnog orascica.
Uski kalup za hleb podmazati puterom, dno posuti sa 2 kasike rendanog sira, preko rasporediti polovinu mesavine hleba i praziluka pa opet posuti sa dve kasike sira. Zatim rasporediti ostatak mesavine hleba i praziluka pa posuti ostatkom sira. Preliti mesavinom mleka i jaja toliko da sve prekrije (necete trebati celu kolicinu ovog momenta), nezno pritisnuti "hleb puding" da hleb popije sto vise mleka. Ostaviti da odmori 15-ak minuta.
Nakon 15 minuta sipati ostatak mleka, kockice hleba koje strse iz pudinga ne trebate vise pritiskati, ostavite ih da dobijete malo krckaviju koricu. Posuti grubom soli pa peci dok ne porumeni, oko 55 do 65 minuta.



English version:
Leek Bread Pudding
(recipe adapted from here)

1 cup leeks in 1/2-inch thick slices, white and light green parts only, cleaned and rinsed
Kosher or coarse salt
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups 1-inch-cubed crustless brioche or Pullman loaf (I used a little less than one loaf)
2 teaspoons finely chopped chives (I forgot to buy these; it made me sad)
1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3 cups whole milk, heavy cream or half-and-half or a combination thereof
Freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded Comté, Emmanthaler or Swiss cheese

Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, drain excess water from leeks, and add to pan. Season with salt, and sauté until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in butter. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, about 20 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While leeks are cooking, spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry and pale gold, about 15 to 20 minutes (my already-stale brioche took less time to brown), turning pan about halfway through. Transfer to a large bowl, leaving the oven on.
Add leeks, chives and thyme to the bowl of bread; toss well. In another large bowl, lightly whisk the egg and egg yolks, then whisk in milk or cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons shredded cheese in bottom of a buttered 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Spread 1/2 of bread mixture in pan, and sprinkle with another 2 tablespoons cheese. Spread remaining bread mixture in pan, and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Pour in enough milk mixture to cover bread, and gently press on bread so milk soaks in. Let rest 15 minutes.
Add remaining milk mixture, letting some bread cubes protrude. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until pudding is set and top is brown and bubbling, about 55 to 65 minutes.