Holly’s ducks are laying like crazy, so we thought it would be nice to offer another duck egg recipe. You can make this with chicken eggs and it will still be delicious, just a tiny bit less rich than the duck eggs. As usual, you can make this gluten and dairy free, switch out the cheese and veggies that you use, and even get creative with your choice of bread cubes. You do need to start ahead of time, because the custard needs time to soak into the bread, so prepare it in the morning or the night before.
We talk you through making this Savory Duck Egg Bread Pudding in Episode 275 of our podcast. If you enjoy this, you may also like our recipes for Judy’s Breakfast Bake and our Veggie Harvest Strata.
Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus, thick ends snapped off, and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced.
6 cups of bread (roughly – about 1 small loaf) cut into cubes
8-10 large duck eggs (10-12 chicken eggs).
2 cups of milk or dairy free milk – creamy oat milk works very well
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon fresh thyme or ground thyme
1 ½ cups of flavorful cheese – Gruyere, sharp cheddar, Colby Jack, or dairy free cheese of choice
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute asparagus pieces in a skillet for 3 or 4 minutes until lightly cooked. Remove the asparagus and set aside.
Wipe out the skillet and add a generous splash of olive oil. Heat oil on medium, then add sliced onion. Keeping the heat on medium/low, cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they have turned golden brown.
Grease or spray a 9×13 baking dish. In layers, add half of the bread cubes, half of the onions, layer half the bread cubes, followed by the caramelized onions, asparagus, and cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the duck eggs, milk, mustard, and seasonings together. Carefully pour the custard mixture over the bread and veggies, cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the dish uncovered for 50-60 minutes, until the center is set – no jiggle – and the top is golden brown. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!