PLANTAIN & GUAVA BREAD PUDDING

PLANTAIN & GUAVA BREAD PUDDING image

Yield 6 to 8

Number Of Ingredients 14

7 to 8 large ripe plantains
½ lb guava paste (Colombian style, found in any Latin food market), slices ¼ inch thick
one loaf of 2-day old bread (preferably Farm bread, no scliced, supermarket variety please)
1 lb shredded Mozarella cheese
1½ cups grated parmesan cheese
3 cups Bechamelle sauce
good cognaq (about 1 cup)and enough milk to soak bread
Bechamelle Sauce:
4 Tbs butter
½ cup all purpose flower
1½ cups milk more or less
sugar to taste
a pinch of freshly-ground nutmeg
In saucepan, melt butter on medium to high heat. Add flower and beat constatly with a whisk until it forms into a thick ball. Gradually pour milk while stirring constantly. Don't stop stirring or you'll get lumps. Lower the heat to medium and continue stirring until you have the desired thickness. Add sugar and nutmeg, stir and set aside. I like to add a ¼ cup cognaq to add flavor.

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400º F. Peel and sclice plantains diagonally ½ thick and sauté in olive oil until golden brown. Lay on paper towels to drain excess fat. Prepare Bechamelle sauce, set aside. Break bread into pieces and put into a bowl to soak in cognaq and milk until soft. In a greased oven-proof casserole dish arrange the first layer of soaked bread to cover the surface of the dish, follow with a layer of plantain slices, followed by the guava slices. Cover the first tier of layers with Bechamelle sause and shredded cheese. Repeat steps until you have three full layers of bread, plantains, guava, sauce and cheese. Place casserole in the oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown. Serve immediately.