EVENT: Roomie Reunion
VENUE: Phoebe’s Parents’ Apartment, Upper West Side
PARTY SIZE: 2
TYPE: Casual Weeknight Dinner
MENU: Zucchini-Fennel Slaw; Tuna Burgers with Lemon Paprika Aioli; Preserved Lemon Budino
As you well know, I am not the baking half of our little quarter-life kitchen marriage. When Cara comes to dinner, I make her bring dessert. When she does not, the lack of a third course makes more room for wine. But sometimes a sweet comes along that’s so extraordinary, I just can’t resist testing my hand at it. That was certainly the case with this budino.
In honor of Cara’s birthday on Friday, she’s deemed this week All Sweets Week, so get prepared to be indulged. This budino is only the start.
On Christmas Eve, my friend Mike had a small group of us wayward Jews over to his apartment for a semi-traditional holiday dinner. I brought Potato Latkes to start, Mike roasted a giant leg of lamb, and Rebecca made two loaves of No-Knead Bread and six ramekins of budino, which she baked off right after we had finished plowing through the meat.
Budino is the Italian word for pudding. But really, Rebecca’s version, borrowed from the Bon Appetit recipe below, was more akin to a light and airy, gooey yet moist cake. Though we were all deep into our holiday food comas by the point dessert came out, we all perked up with the first bite of budino and proceeded to inhale it.
Though it took me over six months to aquire the ramekins I needed to make the dish, my mind never stopped thinking about this budino. Caitlyn was the lucky recipient, and I used some of Cara’s preserved lemons instead of the meyer that the recipe calls for to give it an extra somethin’ something.
The whisk attachment of my imersion blender came in handy to beat the egg whites, but I’ve also just used my super muscular arm to whip them up in the past. If you don’t have ramekins, I’d be curious to see how the budino fares in a small 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Perhaps this will be my next Baking For Others experiment next time Cara lets me use the oven.
From my kitchen, where budino is a reason to bake, to yours,
Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK
**Recipe**
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes 2 servings
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, separated
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced preserved lemon peel
1/4 cup whole milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 3/4-cup ramekins. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon juice, and preserved lemon peel in medium bowl and stir to combine. Whisk in the milk.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with a sprinkle of salt until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Fold into the lemon mixture until just combined. Divide between the two ramekins, and place them in a baking dish with just enough water to reach half way up the ramekins. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until just beginning to become golden brown on the top.
Serve at room temp or warm.
