Recipe

Exotic Mushroom Bread Pudding

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound assorted exotic mushrooms, such as shiitakes, chanterelles, and oysters, wiped clean and chopped (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
5 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Emerilís Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
Port Wine Reduction

Preheat the oven to 350?F.
Grease a 2-quart glass rectangular pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large sautÈ pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne, and the black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for 30 seconds. Add the cream, the remaining teaspoon salt, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, the Tabasco, and the Worcestershire. Whisk the mixture until blended. Add the onion-mushroom mixture and bread cubes and mix well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with the cheese.
Bake until the pudding is golden brown and bubbly, about 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Spoon onto serving plates, drizzle with Emerilís Worcestershire and the wine reduction, and serve.