The first time I ever had Luke's leek bread pudding was also the year I brought him home to meet my family. Bringing a boyfriend home for the holidays is a little nerve-wracking, to say the least, but when you have a chef-boyfriend, suddenly those nerves seem to dissipate.
At least they did in my case. Luke was walking in armed with what could be described as the greatest Christmas casserole of all time, plus a whole black truffle to grate over the top. I mean, how could he not nail the initial meet-and-greet with that power move? He had already won my heart, and he was about to win over every palate around the dinner table as well.
After seeing one of his favorite chefs Thomas Keller make leek bread pudding for Martha Stewart, he decided to give this comforting dish his own spin for the holidays. The creamy custard base, rustic pieces of bread and silky sauteed leeks come together to create one next-level dish.
The other thing that's great about this recipe? It's very versatile. Serve it as a side dish, a vegetarian main dish, or maybe my favorite way to have it: for Christmas breakfast or brunch. To help you make this great dish at your house, I tagged along with Luke and asked a lot of questions. Here's what you need to know.
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To make Luke's decadent Christmas casserole, you'll need bread and leeks. He loves a buttery brioche loaf or challah torn into 1-inch pieces and two leeks thinly sliced (the white bulbs only. You'll also need three eggs, heavy cream, an Alpine cheese like raclette or Gruyere, fresh thyme, two Meyer lemons (the superior lemon in his opinion) and seasonings: salt, pepper and freshly ground nutmeg.
Although optional, he adds truffle butter and freshly shaved black truffles on top of this bread pudding. There are a variety of truffle butters available on Amazon but you'll have to know a truffle guy or head to your nearest specialty foods store if you want to go the fresh truffle shavings route. Trust me, you do, but this casserole is delicious on its own and with other ingredient substitutions (more on that later).
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How to Make Chef Luke's Leek Bread Pudding
First up, the leeks. Luke washes the sliced stalks in warm water to get rid of any grit, then he transfers them to a medium saucepan with the black truffle butter and some salt, then covers the pan. To create tender, silky leeks, he cooks them over low heat, stirring every few minutes. "You can add a few tablespoons of water so they don’t burn," he says. "They should be translucent by the time they're ready and have lost their crunch."
While the leeks are doing their thing, he moves on to the brioche, preheating the oven to 350° and spreading the torn pieces of bread onto a sheet pan. In they go until they're golden brown and fragrant, which takes 12 to 15 minutes.
Next, he makes his custard base by combining the eggs, cream, chopped thyme, grated cheese, lemon zest, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Using an immersion blender, he gives the mixture a few blitzes until the eggs are fully incorporated and sets the bowl aside.
Now it's time to assemble the casserole. He adds the pieces of toasted brioche to the custard and gives the bread a few good tosses until it has absorbed some of the custard base. Next, he transfers the soaked bread to a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and pours the remaining liquid evenly over the top.
"Allow 10-15 minutes for the bread pudding to rest, then return it to the 350° oven to bake until the custard is set and the top is golden brown," he tells me. This will take approximately 1 ½ hours depending on your oven but honestly, I would wait five hours for a bite of this pudding—it's that epic.
Once the casserole is bubbling and the top of the crusty bread is golden with bits of melty cheese throughout, he removes the pan from the oven and grates fresh black truffles over the warm bread pudding for the ultimate finish.
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The finished dish: a golden, creamy, cheesy, delicious casserole fit for Christmas"Can Luke come to Christmas every year?" was the first thing out of my nephew Ben's mouth after he devoured his entire helping of bread pudding, reaching for seconds. Enthusiastic nods all around the table followed.
I'm pretty that was the moment my then chef-boyfriend, now chef-husband won Christmas—and my heart with the vintage typewriter gift he had given me earlier in the day.
I'm not saying his truffle-leek bread pudding is the best casserole in the world, but I am saying it's the only one my family has requested year after year since its debut.
The leeks are silky soft, perfectly sweet and accented by the creamy custard, crusty bread and cheesy filling. With a few shaved truffles on top, it's a lights-out dish that no one can resist. Really, I have not met one person who can.
It's also versatile enough to work for Christmas brunch, alongside other mid-morning favorites, or Christmas dinner, which is how Luke served it that year.
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Chef Luke's Christmas Casserole Tips
Use what you can find: If you can't get your hands on fresh truffles or truffle butter, Luke says you can use jarred truffle pate (it's easy to find online) or even truffle oil. "A little goes a long way," he tells me.Keep the ingredient list simple: You can also omit the truffles altogether and use a medley of mushrooms, Parisian ham or green asparagus in their place with the leeks. Luke advises against using too many different ingredients, though. "Pick two or three that play nice together and keep it simple!" he says.Serve alongside festive cocktails: Naturally, this cheesy bread pudding pairs well with mimosas or Champagne, according to Luke. Want to get fancy? Pre-freeze a batch of holiday ice cubes with cranberries and rosemary springs inside. Nothing looks prettier in a coupe glass full of bubbly. Double the recipe: This casserole tends to go quickly so it's always a good idea to make two. One to enjoy on Christmas and one to freeze for later or bake off the next day.Next Up:
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