WILD MUSHROOM BREAD PUDDING

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Yields: 6–8 Servings

Comment:
Mushrooms, like tomatoes, were once looked upon as a frightening, inedible food. Today, there more than 2,000 types of mushrooms, but only 2½–5% of these are edible. This savory wild mushroom dish is a great side dish to your favorite wild game course.

Ingredients:
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps diced
6 ounces oyster mushrooms, diced
6 ounces crimini mushrooms, diced
2 Portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, caps diced
6 cups 1-inch cubes day old French bread, crust removed
½ cup olive oil
½ cup diced onions
¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup diced yellow bell pepper
4 tsps minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
5 large eggs
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1½ cups whole milk
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 6–8 portion sized ramekins and set aside. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add all mushrooms, onions, celery, bell peppers, minced garlic, basil, parsley, sage and thyme and sauté 12–15 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and brown. Season to taste with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, milk and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese until well blended. Season egg mixture to taste using salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Using your hands, press bread cubes gently to absorb liquids. NOTE: If using hard, baguette-style bread, allow cubes to soak 25–30 minutes in egg mixture. Stir in mushroom mixture then transfer to prepared dishes and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until pudding is brown and puffed and center is set, approximately 30 minutes for 4-ounce ramekins, 45 minutes for 8-ounce ramekins and 1–1¼ hours for a 2-quart ramekin. When done, the internal temperature should read 190°F for 4-ounce or 8-ounce ramekins and 200°F for a 2-quart ramekin. Remove from oven and serve warm as a side dish.