Great Chef Chaya Conrad

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

Chaya Conrad

Dickie Brennan´s Steakhouse

New Orleans LA

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Bread pudding is a New Orleans tradition. It is soaked with rum or whiskey and served with a sauce. Raisins are either mixed into the pudding or into the sauce. At Dickie Brennan´s Steakhouse, the dish incorporates bananas. This recipe makes a large pan of bread pudding, which may be cut into large pieces, as suggested, or into smaller pieces if you would like to use the bread pudding for a large crowd or event. With all the hand-mixing, this recipe also requires a lot of hand-washing!

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Makes eighteen 3-1/2-inch squares

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Four 1-foot day-old French bread loaves, cut in 1-inch cubes

12 egg yolks

1-1/2 cups milk

3 bananas, peeled and cut in thirds

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups rum

1 quart heavy (whipping) cream

3 cups light brown sugar

1/4 cup vanilla

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

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Rum-Raisin Creme Anglaise

1 cups raisin

1 cup white rum

1 pint heavy (whipping) cream

10 egg yolks

1-1/2 cups sugar

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2 quarts vanilla ice cream

18 strawberries

6 mint sprigs

Cocoa powder for dusting

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Preheat the oven to 200 F. Spread the bread cubes on baking sheets and dry in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Put into a very large mixing bowl.

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Place the egg yolks, milk, and bananas in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes and mix with your hands. –

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Put the sugar, rum, half of the cream, and the brown sugar in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour over the bread and mix again. Mix the remaining cream, the vanilla, and the cinnamon and pour over the bread. Mix again. Let the mixture soak for 15 minutes.

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Preheat the oven to 300 F. Lightly spray a large baking pan or hotel pan which is at least 2-inches deep with vegetable oil; depending on the size of your pan, you may need to prepare two. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly spray again. Spread the bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan or pans. Press it gently into place to eliminate air pockets, but do not mash it down. Cover the pan with foil. Bake 2-1/2 hours. Remove the foil and bake 20 more minutes to brown. Remove and let cool to room temperature; lightly cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

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To make the creme anglaise: Put the raisins and rum into a small saute pan and heat over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, avert your face, and ignite the alcohol; let the flames die down. Let cool, then refrigerate.

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In a large saucepan bring the cream to a boil, then remove from heat. In a large bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they begin to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and whisk in a large spoonful of hot cream. Slowly whisk in the remaining hot cream. Place the bowl back over the pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the cooled raisins. Press plastic wrap on the surface and chill in the refrigerator.

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To serve: Cut the bread pudding into 3-1/2-inch squares. Place a square on each serving plate. Top each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Ladle rum-raisin creme anglaise over each and garnish the plates with strawberries and mint leaves. Dust the plates with a little cocoa powder if desired.