Capirotada

Capirotada, sometimes called sopa, is northern New Mexico’s version of bread pudding. Roots of the preparation go back hundreds of years to Spain, where it was often a savory dish. Adapted from Tasting New Mexico: Recipes Celebrating 100 Years of Distinctive Home Cooking by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

Ingredients

½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup brandy
3½ cups warm water
1 lb white bread, torn into bite-size pieces
½ cup piñon (pine nuts) or chopped pecans, toasted
1½ cups (6 oz) shredded mild cheddar or Colby cheese
2 cups sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp ground canela (Mexican cinnamon) or other cinnamon
Softly whipped cream, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow baking dish, about 9 x 12 inches.
Combine the raisins, apricots, brandy, and ½ cup of the water in a bowl and set aside for the fruit to soften.
Place the bread on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake about 20 minutes, until lightly crisp and golden. Leave the oven on. Transfer the bread to the baking dish. Scatter with the pecans, cheese, dried fruit and any remaining brandy mixture not absorbed by the fruit. Push everything down into the bread a bit.
Pour the sugar into a large heavy saucepan. Warm it over medium-high heat until the sugar melts and turns deep golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally to assure even melting. Pour the remaining water over the molten sugar, standing back from the pan to avoid the steam that will rise as the water hits the sugar. The syrup mixture will partially solidify. Continue cooking until it becomes liquid again, stirring occasionally. Add the butter, vanilla, and cinnamon to the syrup. Pour the syrup slowly over the bread mixture. It should be about level with the top of the bread. If any bread pieces aren’t coated, push them into the syrup.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the syrup has absorbed, the cheese has melted, and some of the top bits are crusty. Serve the pudding hot, topped with whipped cream if you like.

Recipe by Cheryl Alters Jamison / Photography by Douglas Merriam