Panade Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325.
• Divide bread slices among 2 or 3 baking sheets. Spread bread out in a single layer, and toast for 20 minutes, then flip slices, and rotate pans to ensure even toasting. Toast until dried out and lightly golden, about 35 minutes total. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425, and adjust oven rack to center position.
• Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter and olive oil. When butter has melted, add onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
• Once the onions cook down a bit and release some liquid, remove lid and increase heat to medium high. Continue cooking and stirring regularly until onions are tender and dark golden brown, about 45 minutes total. Turn off heat, add vinegar and wine and stir to deglaze. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed - the onions should be sweet, savory and pleasantly tangy. Spoon onions into a heatproof bowl, and set aside.
• Return pot to stove. Add stock and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Taste, and adjust salt as needed - it should taste like good chicken soup.
• Place both cheeses in a medium bowl, and mix to combine.
• Butter the inside of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom with a layer of toasted bread, breaking up pieces as needed to form a solid layer. Spoon half the onion mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, and season with pepper. Continue layering with bread, the remainder of the onions and another 1/3 of the cheese. Top off with a final layer of bread.
• Ladle 3 cups of stock over the panade, then wait a minute, and allow the bread to absorb liquid. Pressing down on panade with a metal spatula, add as much stock as the panade will absorb without overflowing. Dot the top layer of bread with remaining butter, then cover with parchment paper and foil. Place baking dish atop baking sheet to catch any overflow, then slide onto the center rack. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and parchment, sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 15 minutes more. Bake until golden brown.
• Remove panade from oven, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cover, and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.
• Cover the bottom of a heavy, ovenproof 5-quart pot with 2 or more slices of the bread. Arrange the squash slices in an even layer on top of the bread and pour in 2 cups of the hot milk mixture. Top with 2 or 3 slices of bread and then with the kale. Arrange the cauliflower slices over the kale. Press down on the ingredients to compact them if they don't quite fit into the pot.
• Pour the remaining milk mixture over the top. Stop adding the milk when the level is almost to the rim. Season with salt. Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and arrange the cheese over the top. Return to the oven uncovered and bake until the liquid is absorbed and reduced and the cheese has melted and browned, 30 to 40 minutes. (When the panade has cooled, it should appear dry.) Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, cut the panade into wedges and put on individual ovenproof plates. Pour ¼ cup cream over the top of each wedge and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 375.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat oil until sizzling over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until onions are nicely browned, about 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic, thyme and sage, then turn off heat.
• Assemble the panade: Line bottom of baking dish with half the bread slices. Add a layer of cooked onion, then a layer of squash. Season squash with salt and pepper. Finish with a layer of grated cheese. Top with remaining bread slices.
• Add water or broth and press down on the top layer of bread to make sure the casserole is evenly saturated. Add more if needed to soak the top layer. It should be damp but not swimming in liquid.
• Cover with foil, place on a sheet pan and bake, covered, for 45 minutes, until squash is tender. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, until browned and bubbling on top. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Mash bread and milk in a large bowl with fork until homogeneous (about 1/4 cup). Sprinkle in garlic, steak spice, salt and pepper.
• Using hands, gently break up meat over bread mixture and toss lightly to distribute. Using fork, lightly mix together until mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 portions. Gently toss 1 portion of meat back and forth between hands to form loose ball. Gently flatten into 3/4" thick patty that measures about 4-1/2" in diameter. Press centre of patty down with fingertips until about 1/2" thick, creating slight epression in each patty. Repeat with remaining portions of meat.
• Preheat grill.
• Cook burgers until done. Add cheese 2 minutes before serving. Tose buns on cooler side of grill, if desired.

Steps:

• To prepare onions: Place the onions in a deep saucepan (or Dutch oven) and drizzle and toss with oil to coat, about 1/4 cup. Set over medium-high heat and, shimmying the pan occasionally, cook until the bottom layer of onions is slightly golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Stir and repeat. Once the second layer of onions has colored, reduce heat to low and stir in garlic and a few pinches of salt. Stew, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a pale amber and tender but not mushy, about another 20 minutes. If at any point the onions dry, cover them to trap some moisture.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• To prepare chard: Place a few handfuls of leaves in a large saute pan or skillet with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkling of water (if you've just washed the chard, it may have enough on the leaves), and a few pinches of salt. Set the pan over medium heat until the water begins to steam, then reduce the heat and stir and fold leaves until just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. (Leaves should be uniformly bright green, the white veins pliable.
• To prepare bread: Toss and massage the cubed bread with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a generous 1/4 cup of the stock and a few pinches of salt, to taste.
• To prepare panade: Use a flameproof, 3-quart souffle dish or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. Assemble the panade in layers, starting with a generous smear of onions, followed by a loose mosaic of bread cubes, a second layer of onions, a wrinkled blanket of chard, and a handful of the cheese. Repeat, starting with bread, the onions and so on, until the dish is brimming. Aim for 2 to 3 layers of each component, then make sure the top layer displays a little of everything. Irregularity in the layers makes the final product more interesting and lovely. Drizzle with any remaining olive oil.
• Bring the remaining 3 3/4 cups stock to a simmer and taste for salt. Add stock slowly, in doses, around the edge of the dish. For a very juicy, soft panade, best served on its own, like a soup or risotto, add stock nearly to the rim; for a firm but succulent panade, nice as a side dish, fill to about 1 inch below the rim. Wait a minute for stock to be absorbed, then add more to return to the desired depth. The panade may rise a little as the bread swells.
• Set panade over low heat and bring to a simmer; look for bubbles around the edges (heating it here saves at least 30 minutes of oven time).
• Cover the top of the panade with parchment paper, then very loosely wrap the top and sides with foil. Place a separate sheet of foil under the panade or on the rack below it, to catch drips.
• Bake until the panade is piping hot and bubbly. It will rise a little, lifting the foil with it. The top should be pale golden in the center and slightly darker on the edges. This usually takes about 1 1/2 hours, but varies according to shape and material of baking dish and oven.
• Browning and serving: Uncover panade, raise temperature to 375°F, and leave until golden brown on top, 10 to 20 minutes. Slide a knife down the side of the dish and check the consistency of the panade. Beneath the crust, it should be very satiny and it should ooze liquid as you press against it with the blade of the knife. If it seems dry, add a few tablespoons simmering stock and bake for 10 more minutes.