G
Guest
Guest
It is an interesting recipe. Expensive to make (here on Kauai anyway) and I have mixed feelings about making it again. I read all that Colleen wrote about her experience with it and will share mine: I could tell by reading the recipe that there was not enough "flavor" to balance the amount of eggs and bread. I decided to add about a half lb of crisp cooked bacon and more herbs. I started by buying some rustic La Brea bread w/garlic and rosemary that I tore apart and let sit out in a big bowl covered with a dish towel overnight to dry out. I did use Gruyere which I shredded and added parmesan to. I used twice the rosemary as called for, ground up fresh, and added some Thyme, garlic powder and pepper. I chopped the ham fine in a processor and added some chopped onion to it. To the egg/cream mixture I added some of the rosemary, thyme and garlic powder. And I tossed in a small amount of smoked paprika. This all sounds like overkill but getting through the amount of bread with flavor was a challenge. My many years of making Thanksgiving bread dressings told me that I think. I layered it all as the recipe suggested and refrigerated it in the bundt pan overnight. I baked it early in the morning because I was taking it to work. Like Colleen I looked at it at the end of the suggested baking time, poked a knife in it which came out wet and decided to bake it longer. My ovens are a little slower than recipes usually call for so I baked it 30 min longer which was just right. I took it out, took it to work in the pan and let it rest for a while before unmolding it. It popped right out as my Bundt pan is old and well-seasoned. Coincidentally, my colleague Lenney brought in homemade Tomatillo sauce that morning but was apologizing because she made it without cilantro- she didn't have any at home when she made it. I sliced the Strata and found it to be baked perfectly- still very moist but sturdy enough to hold together. I tasted it and on a whim put some tomatillo sauce on it just to try it. Delicious! Who would ever think of it? Because she didn't have cilantro in it the flavor was a perfect match to the Strata that had rosemary and thyme in it. Gave it a nice little kick. Work colleagues went nuts over the Strata. They loved it and it was gone in 15 minutes. A raging success. To my taste the amounts of herbs, bacon, parmesan, etc that I added balanced all the bread and egg/cream. I felt after the fact that I should have used dry hot mustard instead of wet coarse-grained mustard.
Would I make it again? Maybe. I saw that Colleen would add peppers, etc to it but my brain says that might make it wetter. Years ago I made Croque Monsieur a lot- it was very trendy and delicious. This Strata is not a recreation of the Croque as "advertised"- the Croque stands on its own as a classic- but this is different and worthy of trying. I might make it again for a brunch. The surprise was the pairing with Tomatillo sauce.
Would I make it again? Maybe. I saw that Colleen would add peppers, etc to it but my brain says that might make it wetter. Years ago I made Croque Monsieur a lot- it was very trendy and delicious. This Strata is not a recreation of the Croque as "advertised"- the Croque stands on its own as a classic- but this is different and worthy of trying. I might make it again for a brunch. The surprise was the pairing with Tomatillo sauce.