2010 Pinot Noir – Savory Bacon Bread Pudding

2010 Pinot Noir  Our 2010 Pinot Noir is a rich complex wine with notes of dark chocolate and ripe cherries. Elegant toasty tannins deliver a long finish.

Savory Bread Pudding

serves 8

5 cups of cubed bread (with crust)
10 large eggs
1 quart whole milk
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded Parmesan
½ c chopped parsley

Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Put the bread cubes in the dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire and salt. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Sprinkle the Parmesan and parsley over the egg mixture and fold them in gently. Make sure the bread cubes are as submerged in the liquid as possible. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover the baking dish and bake for 60 minutes, until the mixture has puffed up slightly and is golden brown on top, and the mixture doesn’t shimmy with uncooked custard when you shake the pan. Tent the dish with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve by the spoonful, using a large serving spoon.

Variation:

To pair with the Pinot Noir: Cook ½ pound of bacon and chop the cooked bacon into bite size pieces. Sprinkle the bacon over the bread cubes before the egg mixture is added. Substitute 1 cup of Gruyère for half of the Parmesan.