great tastes. great stories.
Saffron bread and butter pudding turns leftover panettone into a pudding with a spice from a part of the world where the Christmas story originates. A makeover pudding, where panettone moves from the realms of breakfast to celebratory feasting. Zejd’s saffron from the Bekaa Valley adds a whiff of the eastern Mediterranean. Its aroma marries well with the enriched bread studded with fruit and candied peel, turning the just set custard into a rich golden colour. Bread and butter pudding becomes regal!
We based ours on Simon Hopkinson’s recipe from Roast Chicken and other Stories. As he says, it can be a delicious thing if it is made with good ingredients. We warmed the saffron strands gently for 30 secs before grinding them in a pestle and mortar. This helps it infuse better in the warm creamy milk. But if you don’t have time, left whole, the strands will still turn the milk a golden hue. Leaving the custard for 30 minutes before cooking as Hopkinson suggests, allows the panettone to absorb the liquid. We put our dish in a roasting tin of cold water, bain-marie style, so the custard cooks evenly and gently in the oven.
serves 4
4 generous slices of panettone, or pan dulce
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
250ml full fat milk
150ml double cream
50g caster sugar
a pinch of Zejd’s saffron (ground in a pestle and mortar if you have one)
Serve with double cream.
