Pudding on the barbie

Matt Horn’s recipe for bread pudding

Any backyard cook can master genuine smokecooked barbecue with the 70 amazing recipes-plus loads of tips, tricks, and down-home barbecue wisdom in Horn Barbecue.

Matt Horn, one of Food & Wines 10 “Best New Chefs” for 2021, is the most exciting new talent in American barbecue in years. His Horn Barbecue restaurant in Oakland, California, recently awarded a rare Michelin Guide Restaurant designation, has lines outside that run for blocks and hundreds of rave reviews in local and national media.

The draw? Cooked-to-perfection meats rubbed, mopped, basted, and sauced the way good barbecue should be, plus comforting sides and fixins’ and inspired desserts and drinks.

Now the restaurant’s secret recipes, and many more from Matt’s own personal repertoire, are revealed in the pages of this exciting, userfriendly, and beautifully photographed book.

BREAD PUDDING

You would never know this rich dessert was invented centuries ago to use up stale bread that would otherwise be thrown away. This version is extra scrumptious with luscious heavy cream — based custard and flaky, buttery croissants. I love to serve this pudding with sliced fresh strawberries to add a gorgeous pop of color. Prep time: 10 minutes; cook time: 1 hour.

Ingredients

FOR THE BASE

■ 5 cups (1L) heavy cream

■ 14 large egg yolks

■ 1 cups (250g) sugar

■ 1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla extract

FOR THE PUDDING

■ 8 croissants, torn into 3.5 cm pieces

■ 1⁄4 cup (60ml) melted butter

Method

To make the base: In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream until just below scalding. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until blended. Slowly add the warm cream to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Whisk in the vanilla.

To make the pudding: Preheat the oven to 180C, or gas mark 4. Place the torn croissants in a 23 × 33 cm baking dish, drizzle with the melted butter, and toss to coat and combine. Pour the base over the croissants, toss to coat, and let stand for 15 minutes. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until golden and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. — serves 6 to 8

Horn Barbecue: Recipes and Techniques from a Master of the Art of BBQ by Matt Horn, photography by Andrew Thomas Lee, published by Harvard Common Press, $55.