Faced with a surplus of leftover bread—enough crumbs stockpiled and nothing requiring croutons at the moment—I turn to a savory bread pudding. Since bread puddings remind me of British cooking, I whip up a sausage with typical English aromatics, add dried pear for tasty curiosity, and ecco!—a pudding-pie for dinner. The dried pears should be unsulfured, rather than sulfured, because they are less sweet, making them more suitable for this dish.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　

Sausage

1/2 pound ground beef

　　1 ounce salt pork, minced

　　1 tablespoon fresh bread crumbs (page 4)

　　1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

　　1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

　　1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

　　1/4 teaspoon dried sage

　　1/4 teaspoon dried summer savory

　　1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1 tablespoon water

　　Kosher salt

　　

Pudding

2 tablespoons butter

　　1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts

　　1/3 cup chopped dried pear halves, preferably unsulfured

　　1/4 cup water

　　3 large eggs

　　2 cups milk

　　4 cups cubed day-old baguette or other artisanal country-style bread with crust (1-inch cubes)

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black or white pepper

　　

Step 1

To make the sausage, place all the ingredients except the salt in a medium bowl, and knead with your hands until thoroughly blended. Cook and taste a small sample, then add salt if needed. Use right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

　　

Step 2

To make the pudding, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 3-quart baking dish.

　　

Step 3

In a medium sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and pears and stir to mix. Add the water, decrease the heat, and cook gently until the leeks wilt but remain bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

　　

Step 4

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the bread, leek-pear mixture, salt, and pepper, and then add the sausage, breaking it into small clumps. Stir to mix and pour into the prepared dish.

　　

Step 5

Bake until toasted on the top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

　　Sausage