Rory O'Connell's savoury turkey and ham bread and butter pudding

Ingredients

The meat in this recipe can be omitted to achieve a lovely cheese and bread pudding. A meat-free version is easily done by replacing the turkey and ham with a similar weight of cooked vegetable such as roasted squash peppers or red onions.

Serves 6-8

• 12 slices of best quality white bread
• 50-75g butter
• 100g finely chopped cooked turkey
• 100g finely chopped cooked ham
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 60g grated gruyere
• 60g grated parmesan
• 450ml cream
• 225ml milk
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1x 20 x 25cm oven-proof dish, lightly buttered

Method

1. Remove the crusts from 8 of the 12 slices of bread. Butter all of the slices and lay 4 crustless slices buttered side down on the buttered dish. Scatter on half of the turkey and ham.
2. Mix the two cheeses together and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on the turkey and ham followed by a sprinkling of chilli flakes.
3. Arrange another 4 of crustless bread slices on the meat. Scatter on the remaining turkey and ham, another 1/3 of the cheese and a pinch of chilli flakes. Finish the dish with the remaining 4 slices of bread, buttered sides down and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, nutmeg and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the bread. Let the pudding stand at room temperature of 1 hour or place in the fridge if resting for several hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 180c.
6. Place the pudding in a deep roasting tray in the oven. Pour water from a boiling kettle to come half way up the sides of the pudding dish. Bake for c 1 hour until the pudding is well coloured, fells gently firm to the touch and the custard is no longer liquid.
7. Serve the pudding on hot plates with an appropriate salad to accompany.