But instead of egg as a binder, like you might find in a breakfast casserole, there are no eggs in a panade. Instead, the layers of bread, cheese, and other ingredients are cooked in stock. Because of the addition of stock, this dish is also called bread soup. In fact, thick and filling, it’s really more of a stew than a soup. The bread absorbs much of the liquid.
How to Make Panade
Although it looks a bit involved, this bread soup is fairly easy to make. Much of the prep can be done while you are toasting the bread cubes. You brown onions and mushrooms, and layer them a couple of times in a Dutch oven with chopped fresh chard and toasted bread croutons. Add plenty of stock, and some honey-sweetened wine. Top everything with grated Parmesan and into the oven it goes. An hour and a half later, a rich, thick beautiful stew. Enjoy! If the onions begin to dry out at all, lower the heat. They should begin to caramelize and lightly brown. Add the garlic, cook for a minute more, remove from heat. Layer over with half of the chard and half of the browned mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper, half a teaspoon of salt, and thyme. Put down a layer of toasted bread cubes. Add the remaining onions, chard, and mushrooms. Layer on top the remaining bread cubes. To reheat, gently simmer a portion until hot. Plate and garnish with additional cheese and thyme. Chard, Onion, and Gruyère Panade from Molly of Orangette, adapted from The Zuni Café Cookbook Panade with Kale, Butternut Squash, Cauliflower and Fontina Cheese from the New York Times, adapted from Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson How to Make Panade from Leftovers by Emma Christensen
