RECIPE | French bread pudding (rigodon)

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

700ml milk

2.5ml (½ tsp) ground cinnamon

Finely grated zest of ½ a lemon

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

100g caster sugar

6 large eggs, beaten

15ml (1 tbsp) unsalted butter for greasing

250g brioche or kitke, torn into small pieces

50g each of walnuts and hazelnuts, roughly chopped (replace with blanched almonds or chopped pecan nuts)

To serve:

Stewed seasonal fruit, like plums

Pouring cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Combine milk, cinnamon, lemon zest, vanilla seeds and scraped pod in a saucepan. Bring to boil over a low heat, cover and infuse for 15 minutes, then remove vanilla pod.
3. Whisk sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the cooled milk, whisking until the mixture is smooth.
4. Grease an earthenware dish with the butter, arrange the brioche pieces with the crusts facing upward and add the nuts, then pour over the egg and milk mixture.
5. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown.
6. Serve warm or cold with poached plums and pouring cream drizzled over the top.