Turn your bread into a moreish dinner (lunch or brunch)!
Introducing the summer slice!
Add a crisp salad and a chilled glass of wine, eh voilà!
INSPIRATION
In the heart of Morzine, Restaurant La Grange has been serving up its pain perdu salé to tired and hungry skiers for more than twenty years. This hearty dish layers ham, leeks and Reblochon cheese with day-old bread and a quiche-type mixture. The result is comfort food at its best!
Similarly, in Italy, you might find yourself tucking into a tortino for brunch. This traditional Neapolitan dish is normally made using stale bread, mozzarella and eggs. Chef Luca Corleone-Fontanarosa adds salami and fontina cheese to his recipe for an extra kick.
There are many different takes on what is effectively a savoury bread and butter pudding, otherwise known as strata. This is my version, which is super light, making it ideal for summer. The beauty is that it’s quick and easy to make and incredibly versatile. You can pretty much add any ingredients you like to the basic mixture – vegetables, herbs, cold cuts, your favourite cheese. And it tastes so good. Have it for dinner with a crisp salad and a glass of wine, and enjoy the leftovers (if there are any!) for lunch the next day. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
RECIPE
280g day-old (or older) bread – cut into 2x2cm cubes
A selection of summer vegetables, roasted in the oven at 180°C. Don’t brown them, simply roast them covered with a lid or folded baking parchment. I used red peppers and yellow courgettes from Paull’s in Thames Ditton
A glug of extra virgin olive oil
Fresh herbs – basil, parsley, fennel, thyme (any fresh herbs you like)
Finely grated Grana Padano - enough to coat the bottom of your dish and cover your mixture
Grated mozzarella - as above
YOGHURT CUSTARD
To achieve a light and healthy dish, my recipe requires just a small amount of yoghurt custard. For a creamier, eggier consistency, I suggest increasing the mixture by 50%.
200g Greek yoghurt
100g milk
2 large eggs – 120g
Salt/pepper to taste
METHOD
Preheat your oven to 180°C. This dish is all about layering flavours and textures, so I used a square, transparent Pyrex roasting dish (25 x 21cm) to see the layers.
Start by spraying or drizzling extra virgin olive oil on the base and sides of the dish. Next, evenly sprinkle the bottom with some Grana Padano, a little salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
Add the bread, then the herbs, and sprinkle more Grana Padano and black pepper on top (there’s no need for more salt), as shown in picture 1 above.
Finally, place your roasted vegetables on top and add your mozzarella, Grana Padano and fresh thyme. See picture 2 above.
Combine the ingredients for your savoury custard, making sure it’s well-seasoned, then pour it on top of your mixture, distributing it evenly (picture 3 below).
Bake in the oven at 180°C for 30 mins for a well-browned top, creating a lovely ‘crust’, as shown in picture 4 below.
Serve it warm or at room temperature with a crisp salad. It tastes even better the next day.
I hope you enjoy eating and experimenting with this dish as much as I do. Keep it simple with garlic, cheese and caramelised onions, or add lardons, shallots and Reblochon for a tartiflette alternative. Let your summer holiday inspire you!
Just look at those layers - and the crunchy top!
