Warm puddings with spinach, pancetta and gruyere
5 servings
60 minutes
Warm puddings with spinach, pancetta, and Gruyère are a cozy dish of European cuisine that combines rich and delicate flavors. Pancetta adds a savory saltiness, Gruyère brings deep cheesy creaminess, and spinach adds freshness and lightness. This pudding is a great choice for dinner on cool evenings or as an original dish for a festive table. The roots of the recipe trace back to the traditions of French and Italian gastronomy where bread, cheese, and meat are combined in casseroles. In preparation, it is important to let the bread soak in the milk-egg mixture so that the texture becomes airy and the cheese melts to create an appetizing crust. It is served warm and pairs excellently with light salads or a glass of white wine.
1
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Grease 10 pudding molds with vegetable oil.
- Extra virgin olive oil: 1 tablespoon
2
Cut the bread into cubes of 1.5–2 cm — it should yield 4 cups.
3
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add diced pancetta and sauté for 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.
- Extra virgin olive oil: 1 tablespoon
- Pancetta: 120 g
4
Add finely chopped shallots to the pan from the pancetta, season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes until soft.
- Shallots: 2 pieces
- Coarse salt: 1 teaspoon
- Freshly ground black pepper: 0.3 teaspoon
5
In a small bowl, mix pancetta, shallots, bread cubes, eggs, spinach, Gruyère, and milk. Stir to let the bread soak.
- Pancetta: 120 g
- Shallots: 2 pieces
- Country bread: 2 pieces
- Chicken egg: 6 pieces
- Spinach: 140 g
- Grated Gruyere cheese: 180 g
- Milk: 0.3 glass
6
Put the mass into molds, then place it on a baking sheet.
7
Send to the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown.
8
Cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the mold. Invert the puddings onto plates. Serve warm.