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Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes |
Ready In: 65 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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Panade is just a fancy name for stuffing, said chef Michael Schwartz. Typically panades are rustic French dishes made with old bread, broth, plenty of stewed onion and gratinéed cheese (sometimes with an extra veg or two mixed in). Mr. Schwartz, however, likes to add cream and eggs to his versions, which takes the dish into bread pudding territory. But no matter what you call them, these casseroles are winter comfort food of the highest order. Serve as a side dish or as a main course with side salad. Courtesy of WSJ December, 2011. Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter |
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil |
2 cups yellow onions, thinly sliced |
kosher salt |
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled |
2 cups pumpkin, diced into 1/2-inch pieces, can use butternut squash |
fresh ground black pepper |
2 1/2 cups sourdough bread, stale, toasted, cut into 1-inch pieces |
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped |
2 teaspoons thyme leaves, roughly chopped |
2 ounces fontina cheese, shredded |
1 cup vegetable stock, sub. chicken stock |
1/4 cup heavy cream or 1/4 cup milk |
2 egg yolks |
2 ounces pecorino romano cheese, grated |
Directions:
1. RECIPE OVERVIEW & NOTE: Per Chef Schwartz: The recipe is not fussy: First, stew the onions with the pumpkin (or butternut squash) until they are soft and sweet and the pumpkin is almost cooked through. The onions should be well seasoned and flavorful when taken off the heat. Next, bring the cream and stock to a simmer and slowly whisk them into a bowl with the beaten egg yolks. Then, mix it all together—bread, herbs, cheese, cream, vegetables—and pack it into ramekins. Top with pecorino (Parmesan will work, too) and bake until the centers are nearly semi-firm. Before serving, slide the panades under the broiler for a few minutes; the pecorino should brown and bubble and form a crackly crust. When tapped with a spoon, the topping will give way to sweet pumpkin, caramelized onions and melted fontina, all suspended in a pillow of warm bread.
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Using 1/2 tablespoon butter, grease 4 ramekins and the dull side of 4 pieces of aluminum foil cut to cover ramekins.
4. Set sauté pan over medium heat. Swirl in oil and remaining butter. Add onions and a pinch salt. Cook, covered, until translucent, about 3 minutes.
5. Add garlic, pumpkin and a pinch salt. Cook, covered, for 4 minutes.
6. Uncover and cook until onions are lightly colored and pumpkin is tender, about 4 minutes more. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Discard garlic.
7. While pumpkin cooks, toss bread, parsley, thyme and fontina in a large bowl. Stir in cooked pumpkin mixture.
8. Return pan, without cleaning it, to medium heat. Add stock and cream or milk. While heating, whisk yolks in a small bowl. Once liquid is hot but not boiling, whisk it gradually into yolks (do not add too quickly or eggs will scramble). Pour liquid over bread mixture and toss to combine. Let rest a few minutes so most of the liquid is absorbed.
9. Pack mixture into ramekins and top with pecorino. Cover with foil, buttered-side down.
10. Bake, on center rack, until panades are semi-firm at their centers, about 15 minutes. Remove panades from oven and discard foil. Turn on broiler.
11. Broil until pecorino melts and browns in spots, 3-5 minutes.
12. Serve as a side dish or as a main course with side salad.
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