Summary of "This Old School Irish Bake Turns One Tin into a Feast"

Old-School Irish Corned-Beef Bread Pudding

(Backyard Chef — Rick)

Ingredients

Stale bread — about 500 g (half a kilo), ripped into pieces
Eggs — amount not specified (used to make the custard base)
Cream — amount not specified (used in custard)
Milk — used both in custard and sauce (amounts not specified)
English mustard — about 4 tsp (in custard)
White or black pepper — to taste (white pepper preferred for the sauce)
Salt — a little / to taste (use sparingly — corned beef and bacon are salty)
Nutmeg — pinch in the custard and a pinch in the sauce
Bacon bits / diced bacon — amount not specified (rendered for flavor)
1 onion — diced
White cabbage (or any cabbage) — roughly cubed (amount not specified; core can be used)
1 tin tinned corned beef (or homemade corned beef)
Cheddar cheese — quantity not specified (dotted/layered through and on top)
Butter — for cooking cabbage/onions (about 1 tbsp noted) and a little for the top

Parsley sauce

Butter — amount not specified
Flour — about the same amount as the butter
Milk — to loosen and thicken the sauce
Fresh parsley — chopped
White pepper, pinch of nutmeg, and some salt

Equipment & prep

Baking tin / ovenproof dish (suitable size)
Frying pan / skillet to render bacon and cook onions/cabbage
Saucepan for the parsley sauce
Spoon/spatula and mixing bowl
Pair of scissors (useful to cut bacon bits)
Foil to cover the dish for baking
Oven preheated to 180°C (as stated in the video)

Method — step-by-step

Prep the bread and custard
- Rip about 500 g stale bread into pieces and set aside.
- In a bowl combine eggs, a shake of pepper, a little salt, cream, milk, about 4 tsp English mustard and a pinch of nutmeg. Beat to form a custard.
- Fold the bread into the custard and mix lightly so the bread is well coated.
Render bacon & sweat aromatics
- Cut bacon into small cubes (scissors recommended) and render in a pan until the fat is released.
- Remove the cooked bacon pieces from the pan but leave the bacon fat in.
- Add the diced onion to the pan and cook until translucent/soft (no need to brown).
- Add ~1 tbsp butter, then the cubed cabbage. Wilt the cabbage in the bacon fat/butter until soft.
- Season with a little pepper and only a tiny pinch of salt. Let this mixture cool before combining with the custard if possible.
Prepare corned beef
- Open the tin of corned beef and break it into chunks — leave some chunks rather than fully shredding if you want pockets of corned beef in the bake.
Assemble
- Put the bread/custard mix into the prepared baking tin — don’t press it flat; keep some crusty crevices.
- Dot chunks of corned beef and some rendered bacon throughout the layers.
- Stir or layer in the cooled cabbage/onion mix.
- Scatter grated cheddar through and on top; dot a little butter over the surface (not too much).
- Cover the dish with foil.
Bake
- Bake covered at 180°C for about 45 minutes.
- Remove foil, add more cheddar on top, and return briefly to melt and brown the cheese to your liking (video melts until bubbly).
Make the parsley sauce (while the bake cooks)
- In a saucepan melt some butter, add an equal amount of flour and cook briefly to form a roux.
- Gradually whisk in milk until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency.
- Season with a pinch of nutmeg, a little salt and white pepper.
- Stir in chopped fresh parsley. Keep the sauce on the thinner side if serving over the bread pudding.
Finish & serve
- After the cheese is melted, let the baked pudding cool/set for about 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve with warm parsley sauce spooned over. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.

Timings, temperatures & technique cues

Oven: 180°C for the covered bake.
Bake time: about 45 minutes covered; then uncovered briefly to melt/brown cheese.
Resting: let cool ~10 minutes to set before slicing.
Cook onions until translucent/soft; cabbage should wilt (no heavy browning required).
Cool the cooked cabbage/bacon mix before adding to the custard if possible.
Use bacon fat to flavor the onions and cabbage.
For the sauce: cook the roux briefly, then whisk in milk until thickened; add parsley off heat.

Tip: Use a pinch of nutmeg in both custard and sauce for depth of flavor.

Chef tips & cautions

Be careful with salt — corned beef, bacon and salted butter add significant saltiness.
Don’t over-butter the top; too much butter makes it greasy.
If you want chunks of corned beef, don’t over-stir it into the mix — dot chunks in as you assemble.
Use white pepper in the parsley sauce to avoid visible black flecks (optional).
Let the cabbage/bacon mixture cool before mixing with the custard if you can.

Serving, storage & variations

Serve hot with parsley sauce poured over and extra parsley on top.
Variations:
- Use homemade corned beef instead of tinned.
- Any cabbage can be used (white cabbage was used here).
Storage: can be sliced and frozen. Reheated slices can be pan-fried for a crisped version.
Occasion: suitable for St. Patrick’s Day or as a hearty family meal.