Savory Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

One of D's friends went hunting last weekend and brought us one of the pheasants he caught, so on Sunday night we had a crazy attempt at cooking our first wild bird. D did all the plucking and removed all the innards, but the whole bloody mess in the kitchen kind of ruined my appetite. We cooked the bird according to this recipe from Emeril Legasse, the famous New Orleans chef, but it smelled funny coming out of the oven and was too gamey for our tastes, so we tossed it out, thinking that maybe it had gone bad hanging in the cold garage.

I also cooked this Savory Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding that Emeril suggested as an accompaniment to the pheasant, and it was tasty and rich, just like something you'd be served in one of his NOLA restaurants. I think it would be great with a simple roasted chicken and salad.

Serves 6-8 (large portions)

2 tsps vegetable oil

1 cup (250ml) sliced yellow onions

10 oz/325g assorted wild mushrooms, such as oyster, shitake, chanterelles, wood ear, or porcini

1 tsp minced garlic

3 tsp Essence, recipe follows

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup (60 ml) lager beer

5 large eggs

3 cups (750 ml) heavy cream/double cream

1/4 cup (60ml) molasses (I used maple syrup)

1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp minced fresh thyme

3/4 cup (185ml) grated Gouda cheese

3/4 cup (185ml) grated white cheddar cheese

3/4 lb (375g) stale white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp plain bread crumbs

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Essence, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and have given off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Note: be careful when adding the spices to the onions--if too much of the chili & paprika gets into the air it can make you cough and choke. Add the beer and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and until the mixture is almost dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of Essence, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and whisk well to combine. Add the mushroom mixture and cheeses and stir well. Add the bread cubes and let sit until the bread has absorbed the liquid, 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Add the bread crumbs, shaking to cover the bottom evenly. Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour and uncover. Continue baking until risen and firm in the center, and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)-makes about 2/3 cup:

2.5 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp dried leaf oregano

1 Tbsp dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.