Dead Bread

Every so often I like to talk about what to do with food you think you should trash. You know, beet greens and turnip tops, chard stalks, snippets of various leftover vegetables that can be combined into a luscious soup, even sour milk which you can convert into yogurt. I have from time to time talked about salvaging stale bread too, and because I reckon many of us in quarantine aren't getting fresh bread daily or even close to daily, there might be a lot of seeming stale bread shaming you. So here as a reminder are a few ways to recycle that bread into something you can proudly enjoy....now or later, including everybody's favorite dessert: my chocolate bread pudding. And if these aren't enough, Google panade for another idea. 
              

In the last post, I gave the recipe for Asparagus revuelto, a Spanish way to put yesterday's bread into today's breakfast. This Spanish /Portuguese recipe is very similar, just fries the eggs instead of scrambling them. 
Migas 

Serves 4

1 medium loaf of stale white bread (2-3 days old) 
Extra virgin olive oil 
4 garlic cloves, crushed with the skin on
6 oz  morcilla, chorizo or pancetta, cubed 
4 shallots, finely chopped 
2 tsp smoked paprika 
Flat leaf parsley, a small bunch chopped 
1/4 c white raisins, soaked (either overnight or 2-3 hours before) in sherry 
2 tbsp hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted 
8 eggs
Salt and black pepper

 
Remove the bread crusts. Cut it into 3/4" cubes. Sprinkle with water to make damp. Keep aside in a Tupperware box or in a bowl covered with a damp tea towel until needed.

Put a sauté pan on a medium to low heat and pour in 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil. When it is warm, add the garlic. When the garlic is halfway  caramelized, add meat. Cook 2 minutes to release its fat, then add the bread and toss it continually 2 minutes over a low heat. Add shallots, smoked paprika, the chopped parsley, raisins, hazelnuts and pine nuts. Toss continually and cook another 2-3 minutes.  The bread should be crispy on the outside but still moist and chewy on the inside. Divide what's in the pan on four servings plates.

Fry the eggs, making sure they’re crispy on the outside (with a skirt) and runny in the middle. Place on top of the bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Panzanella

This traditional Italian salad is one of my summer favorites. I actually hoard bread to be able to make it.
Serves 6

6 thick slices Tuscan, French or Levain bread (any very crusty, dense bread) 

2 sm red onions, sliced into thin rings 

1 lg green bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces (about 1” sq) 

4 med/lg freshly ripe tomatoes (these are the star of this show), chunked 

½ cup shredded Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese 

12 black olives, pitted 

1 tbsp capers 

½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 

¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, minced 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tbsp red wine vinegar 

½ cup best quality olive oil + 3 tbsp more 

Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Put 3 tbsp olive oil in a shallow bowl. Cut bread into bite sized chunks and soak in the oil. Toast the bread at 400º for 5 minutes or until crunchy and browned.
 

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, salt, vinegar and olive oil to make a dressing.
 

Put toasted bread into the bottom of a large serving bowl. Add the onion rings, chunked tomatoes and diced pepper. Add olives, cheese and herbs.  Pour on the dressing and blend everything. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Ribollita

This beloved soup is classic Italian recycling.

For 4-6

3 tbsp and 2 tsp olive oil 
1 med onion, peeled and diced 
1 lg garlic clove, peeled and minced 
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves 
2 sm or 1 lg celery stalks, finely chopped 
1 lg carrot, peeled and finely chopped 
½ Savoy cabbage, shredded 
4 stalks red chard, stems removed and chopped 
1 bunch Tuscan/lacinto/blue kale, stems removed and chopped 
6-7 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water 
salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste 
2 cans (14 oz) cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained 
1-2 tbsp tomato paste 
6 slices day or two old (i.e.stale) Tuscan or other dense crusty Italian bread 
Fruity olive oil for final garnish 
Optional: 1 sm parmesan rind

Coat bottom of a large heavy-gauge pot with 3 tbsp olive oil and heat on medium flame. Add onion, garlic, rosemary, celery and carrots. Sauté until soft, 5 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Add Savoy cabbage and chard, stirring to blend, and cook until they wilt.

Add broth, salt and kale. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and simmer 40-45 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Timing does not have to be precise.

Purée 1 can of beans. Add puréed and whole beans to the soup along with the tomato paste. (suit yourself with how much) Stir to blend everything. Continue to simmer with lid on pot 15 minutes. Stir from time to time so nothing sticks to the bottom. Taste for salt and correct if necessary.

At this point, you can be very Tuscan and get out a large earthenware casserole pot, then layer the bread and soup in it. Or you can simply add the bread to the soup pot you’re already using, trying to “layer” it in. In either case, remove soup from heat and let cool. Refrigerate overnight so it sets up.

To serve: stir in 2 tsp olive oil. Reheat on low flame or in the oven until hot enough to eat. Garnish with fruity olive oil.



Croutons and crackers

Don't think these are a waste of effort. Peppery garlicky croutons will noticeably brighten up a salad or a soup, and bring them both needed crunch. If you cut the bread into thin slices, you can make melba toast crackers for any canapé or snack you want.  And both of these preparations can be stored in an airtight tin for at least two months. So get the work over with now and enjoy your summer with extra flair.

    There is not exact recipe for this because you will all have varying amounts of bread of various sizes and textures. So the trick is to either cut that bread into one-bite chunks or very thin cracker slices. Put it all in a bowl and then drizzle on as much olive oil as it takes to get every piece with at least a tiny drop on it. 

 Then if you like garlic, which is what makes these, put one or two cloves through a press and stir what comes out into and among your croutons.  Toss in a good pinch of salt and then lay everything on a baking sheet.  If it's a small one for the toaster oven, line it with tin foil. If it's large for the oven use parchment paper: it just makes cleanup easy. Has nothing to do with the baking process.
     Bake everything at 325º at least 30 minutes. Check to see if everything is dry and crisp and keep cooking until it is. You can't really overdo the drying out process too much so don't worry. Cool the croutons/crackers and store them in an airtight tin

Last post had a recipe for Asparagus Bread Pudding.   
Here's the recipe for the king of all bread puddings, the one you'll keep forever and use everytime you have an occasion:

Chocolate Bread Pudding
The secret of this, as with the asparagus bread pudding is that you pulverize the bread into crumbs. Most bread puddings leave the bread showing in slices.

 for 12 lucky people

2/3 c sugar
1 c heavy cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 eggs, separated
1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs from 5-6 slices firm white bread

Preheat oven to 350º and butter an 8" square or 8"x3" round cake pan.
Bring cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
Put chocolate in a food processor and cut it into smaller and smaller pieces while pouring in the hot cream. When mixture is smooth, add 1/3 c sugar and one by one the egg yolks. Add butter and vanilla and process until the mix is very smooth.

Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture in, stirring to blend.

In separate bowl, beat egg whites til soft peaks form. Continue beating in the remaining 2/3 c sugar until peaks stiffen and are glossy.
Slowly combine the egg whites with the chocolate mixture, trying not to loose their fluff. Blend everything well. Pour into buttered pan evenly and level.

Put pan into a larger roasting pan and fill that with water halfway up the side of the pudding pan. Put in center of oven and bake at 350º 45-50 minutes or until pudding is set. (A cake tester should come out clean.) Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes and invert onto your serving platter.

Custard to top your Bread Pudding
6 egg yolks
1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp brandy

Combine yolks and 1/3 c sugar in a large bowl and beat until totally blended. Egg color should be lighter.
Combine remaining sugar and milk in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and very gradually, in a thin stream, whisk in the egg yolks.
Return to low heat and stir constantly until custard gets thick enough to stick to the back of your spoon. Do not let this boil or it will curdle. Stay low. Add vanilla and brandy. Remove from heat. Cool and pour over the bread pudding.

To go all out, top with fresh raspberries!