Mazzamurru

Name: Mazzamurru
Ingredients: Trenchers of good country bread, with its crusts intact, 8 1/2 inches thick by 6 inches long; 2 cups whole milk; 2 cups heavy cream; 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; Freshly cracked pepper; 1 1/2 cups just-grated pecorino; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 fat cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced; 1 small, dried red chile pepper, crushed, or 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes

10 ingredients

12 steps

Ingredients

Trenchers of good country bread, with its crusts intact, 8 1/2 inches thick by 6 inches long
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1 1/2 cups just-grated pecorino
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
1 small, dried red chile pepper, crushed, or 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes

Directions

1

Pave the bottom of a large, shallow terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron casserole with the bread.
2

Warm the milk and the cream to the point just before it simmers.
3

Permit the milk/cream to cool for a minute or two, then beat in the eggs.
4

Pour half the still-hot milk/cream/egg mixture over the bread.
5

Sprinkle on half the sea salt, generous grindings of pepper, and half the pecorino.
6

Repeat the procedure with the remaining bread, hot milk/cream/egg, sea salt, more pepper, and the pecorino.
7

Cover the pudding with a clean kitchen towel and permit the bread to inhale its warm, creamy bath for 1/2 hour.
8

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
9

In a small saute pan over a medium flame, warm the olive oil and soften the garlic, taking care not to let it color.
10

Add the chile pepper and roll it about for 1 minute, scenting the oil.
11

Just before baking the pudding, thread the perfumed oil evenly over it.
12

Bake the pudding for 35 to 40 minutes or until it is deeply golden.