While many restaurants use leftover bread to make their bread pudding, the sleek Asian-fusion restaurant Oya uses croissants. The result is a rich and moist dessert that two of our readers told us they would LOVE (yes, their caps) to learn how to make. “It’s one of those comfort foods that everyone knows,” Oya chef Eddie Marine says. “Bananas are foods of all countries, so it fits the restaurant.” The $10 bread pudding, which the restaurant serves with rum-raisin ice cream, caramel sauce, and coconut, has been a favorite at Oya since its opening. Marine says the recipe is easy to make—just make sure the oven is not too hot so that the bread pudding cooks slowly.
Oya’s Banana Bread Pudding
Makes six four-ounce servings
6 three-ounce croissants torn into small pieces
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half
8 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ vanilla bean, split
¼ cup dark rum
5 bananas
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large pot set over low heat, heat the cream, half-and-half, and vanilla bean until hot but not simmering or boiling. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until smooth. Slowly drizzle the hot cream mixture into the bowl of yolks, stirring constantly. Set aside.
Fold the croissants into the cream mixture. In a blender, purée the bananas with the rum and stir into the pudding. Bake in a buttered oven-proof dish for 35 to 40 minutes.
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Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
