Kale pesto strata with gruyère and mustard

Name: Kale pesto strata with gruyère and mustard
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 500g sourdough loaf, ends removed but crust left intact, then cut into 5mm-thick slices; 135ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing; 75g kale leaves, roughly torn; 40g parsley leaves, roughly chopped; 15g oregano leaves; 1 red chilli, roughly chopped (deseeded if you prefer less heat); 1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped (75g net weight); 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped; Salt and black pepper; 50g parmesan, roughly grated; 60g gruyère, roughly grated; 3 eggs, plus 3 yolks; 700ml whole milk; 300ml double cream; 1½ tbsp dijon mustard; 1½ tbsp capers, rinsed or drained, then roughly chopped; 1½ tbsp cider vinegar

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

A delicious savoury bread pudding, perfect for a lazy winter's brunch. Best assembled the day before then baked an hour ahead of eating. The cheeses and herbs can be switched to whatever you have to hand.

Note, there is a rest time needed before baking of at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Tags:

Brunch Vegan Vegetarian

Ingredients

500g sourdough loaf, ends removed but crust left intact, then cut into 5mm-thick slices
135ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing
75g kale leaves, roughly torn
40g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
15g oregano leaves
1 red chilli, roughly chopped (deseeded if you prefer less heat)
1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped (75g net weight)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper
50g parmesan, roughly grated
60g gruyère, roughly grated
3 eggs, plus 3 yolks
700ml whole milk
300ml double cream
1½ tbsp dijon mustard
1½ tbsp capers, rinsed or drained, then roughly chopped
1½ tbsp cider vinegar

Method

Assemble

Heat the oven to 170C (160C fan). Spread out the slices of bread on two baking trays and bake for 10 minutes, until lightly toasted and dried out, then leave to cool.
Grease a 30cm x 20cm and at least 6cm-deep baking dish with oil.
Put the kale, herbs, chilli, shallot and garlic in a food processor, pulse a couple times until finely chopped, then add 90ml oil, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and pulse to a coarse paste. Measure out 75g of this pesto and set aside. Use the rest generously to coat both sides of each slice of bread. Layer the bread slices in the baking dish at an angle, so they overlap a little, and sprinkle the cheeses in between as you go.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, milk, cream, mustard, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Pour over the bread, cover with a piece of greaseproof paper, then weigh down the strata with a heavy baking dish. Refrigerate for at least four hours, and preferably overnight.

Bake

Take the strata out of the fridge an hour before baking, and remove the weight and greaseproof paper. Heat the oven to 190C (180C fan). Cover the strata tightly with foil, bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 25 minutes more, or until deeply golden and bubbling. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Pesto

Meanwhile, combine the reserved pesto with the capers, vinegar and remaining three tablespoons of oil. Serve the strata directly from its dish with the pesto alongside.