Double-Thrift Savory Bread Pudding with Lettuce, Onion, and Cheese

As a professional cook and backyard gardener, I have always sought ways to make good use of those not-so-pretty outside leaves of lettuce. My first introduction to that notion was from a French recipe for lettuce soup that called for a seeming ton of them; hooray, a way to use what might have been otherwise relegated to the compost pile. Much later, I ran across a Spanish recipe, one for a savory pudding of lettuce bolstered with a béchamel sauce and bread crumbs. For my pressure cooker custardy pudding, the crumbs have become cubes of stale bread and the béchamel is changed to a mix of just eggs and cheese. The outside leaves of lettuce remain. It's an elegant first course or side dish that appeals to the thrift in anyone's soul.

 

Makes 4 to 6 servings

 

2	tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
½	small yellow or white onion, finely chopped
2	cups packed coarsely chopped outer romaine or Bibb lettuce leaves
½	cup milk
¾	cup ricotta cheese
½	cup crumbled feta cheese
¼	teaspoon chopped fresh sage, or ⅛ teaspoon dried
	Pinch of ground nutmeg
¾	teaspoon kosher salt
3	large eggs
3½ to 4	cups 1-inch cubes stale bread
½	cup Tomato Concassé Sauce (optional, [>]), for serving

1. Lightly grease a 6-cup soufflé dish or glass bowl or five 6-ounce custard cups with butter.
2. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilting, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lettuce and continue cooking until limp, about 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
3. Combine the milk, ricotta, feta, sage, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to smooth. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the lettuce mixture, then the bread cubes. Ladle into the prepared dish or individual cups. Cover with foil, pinching around the edges to seal.
4. Place a trivet in the pressure cooker and pour in 2 cups water. Set the dish or stack the cups (see [>]) on the trivet. Lock on the lid and bring to pressure over high heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes if using one dish or 10 minutes if using cups. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
5. With the steam vent pointed away from your face, gently release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid, lift off the foil with kitchen tongs, and let cool enough to handle.
6. While still warm, serve without unmolding if using one large dish, with the sauce, if using, on the side. If using custard cups, unmold onto individual plates and top with a dollop of the sauce, if using.