Siro's Restaurant's Roasted Garlic Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 carrot, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 scallion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 8 large eggs
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 2 heads roasted garlic, recipe follows in directions
• 3 cups sourdough bread, crust removed,cut into 1-inch cubes,and air-dried overnight

Directions

1. 1

   Set a skillet over medium heat and add the 2 tbsp of oil; when hot, add the onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, scallion, and minced garlic; cook until the vegetables begin to soften.

2. 2

   Mince the rosemary and briefly rub in your hand before adding to the vegetables (this releases the oil and adds to the flavour of the dish).

3. 3

   Cook for 2 more minutes, season with salt and pepper and let cool.

4. 4

   In a large bowl, combine the whole eggs with the egg yolks and beat well.

5. 5

   Stir in the heavy cream and the roasted garlic puree until well blended.

6. 6

   Combine the cream mixture with the vegetables and the dried bread cubes and mix well.

7. 7

   Allow the mixture to stand overnight, covered in the refrigerator.

8. 8

   Beat the reserved egg whites until stiff and fold into the bread pudding one-third at a time and mound in a greased large muffin tin (you should get 4 to 6).

9. 9

   Bake in a preheated 350F oven 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown.

10. 10

    To make the Roasted Garlic: cut the tops off of 2 heads of garlic and simmer in 1 cup milk for 10 minutes; drain, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and combine garlic with 3/4 cup olive oil; place in a pan and tightly cover it, and roast for 2 hours in a 275F oven; uncover and let cool; strain the oil to remove unwanted garlic skin; squeeze the garlic from the heads and place in a small blender and puree, adding the strained oil in a slow, steady stream to emulsify the oil into the puree.