Strata: A Savory Custard

• About 1/2 cup stale bread, torn in small pieces, any tough crusts removed
• 1/4 cup milk
• A slice of ham, enough to fill the bottom of the dish (leftover baked ham is particularly good here; see page 60)
• A little soft butter
• 3 spears cooked asparagus
• Salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup mixture of milk and cream or half-and-half
• Freshly ground pepper
• A couple of fresh sage leaves or fresh basil torn (optional)
• About 1 generous tablespoon grated cheese, Parmesan or aged Cheddar or Swiss

1. Put the bread in a bowl with the milk to soak for about 5 minutes, and then squeeze it through your fingers to dissolve the crumbs in the milk.
2. Meanwhile, place the ham on the bottom of a single-portion buttered baking dish and lay the asparagus spears, cut in half, over the ham.
3. Salt lightly.
4. Beat the egg with the milk-cream mixture, add a little salt and freshly ground pepper, and pour that over the asparagus.
5. Arrange optional sage leaves on top and sprinkle on the grated cheese.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 25 minutes.
7. Let settle for a few minutes out of the oven before you dive in.
8. You can use any number of cooked vegetables as a base here, whatever you may have lurking in the refrigeratorsome broccoli (or broccolini) florets, rated zucchini, artichoke hearts, or braised fennel.
9. If you use a leafy vegetable like spinach or chard, squeeze out all the water first.

stale bread, milk, ham, butter, salt, egg, milk, freshly ground pepper, couple, generous

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/strata-a-savory-custard-378399 (may not work)