Sizzling Asparagus & Brown Butter Skillet Panade
I grew up in Paris, where stale bread is never wasted, it's weaponized. The inspiration for this Sizzling Asparagus & Brown Butter Skillet Panade? A Sunday morning in my tiny Bay Area apartment. I had leftover sourdough, a bunch of local asparagus, and zero patience for a traditional water bath. We're not suffering for brunch.So, I skipped the fussy baking dish. Instead, I preheated my cast iron until it was screaming hot. Drop in cultured butter until it foams and browns, then pour in a Dijon-spiked custard packed with torn sourdough and asparagus. Pourquoi? Because the ripping hot pan fries the bottom into a lacy crust instantly, while the top puffs and the asparagus chars. It's high-hydration bread meeting its highest purpose: maximum crust-to-crumb ratio.What makes this special is the contrast. The crumb isn't tight like a bad alibi; it's airy and custardy, while the edges are crunchy, nutty perfection. Butter is not a garnish here; it's the frying medium.Cami's shortcut note: Swap the asparagus for whatever is seasonal—fennel or blistered tomatoes work beautifully.Don't skip this: Let the torn bread soak in the custard for at least 30 minutes. Let time do the work. The fridge is your friend.
Featured Recipe
Sizzling Asparagus & Brown Butter Skillet Panade
A café-level savory bread pudding that identifies as a crispy skillet meal. We preheat the cast iron until it's screaming hot, drop in cultured butter, and pour in a Dijon-spiked custard with torn sourdough. The bottom fries into a lacy crust while the top puffs and the asparagus chars—maximum crust-to-crumb ratio, zero brunch suffering.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 1 lb thick asparagus(Woody ends snapped)
- 4 cups day-old sourdough(Crusts on, torn into crags)
- 6 large eggs(Room temperature if possible)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard(Smooth, not grainy)
- 1 cup grated Gruyère(Divided use)
- 3 tbsp cultured butter
- 1 garlic clove(Peeled and smashed)
- 1 tsp lemon zest(Freshly grated)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt(Diamond Crystal)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper(Coarsely ground)
Instructions
- 1
Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet on the middle rack of your oven and preheat to 425°F. Preheating the pan is non-negotiable for that fried, lacy bottom crust.
15 min
Tip: A hot pan fries the bottom instantly. A cold pan means a dense, soggy bottom.
- 2
While the oven heats, prep the veg and bread. Snap the woody ends off 1 lb thick asparagus. Tear 4 cups day-old sourdough into 1.5-inch craggy pieces. Leave the crusts on.
5 min
Tip: Use a proper, high-hydration loaf with an open crumb—it absorbs the custard without turning to mush.
- 3
In a large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together 6 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup grated Gruyère, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Fold in the torn sourdough. Let time do the work—allow it to sit and absorb the custard while the oven finishes preheating.
10 min
Tip: We want the bread soaked but still holding its structural integrity.
- 4
Once the oven is at 425°F, carefully remove the screaming hot skillet. Instantly drop in 3 tbsp cultured butter and 1 smashed garlic clove. Swirl the pan.
1 min
Tip: Butter is not a garnish. It will foam, sizzle, and brown instantly, creating a non-stick, deeply nutty base.
- 5
Immediately scrape the soaked bread mixture into the sizzling butter, spreading it evenly. Arrange the asparagus spears tightly over the top, pressing them slightly into the custard. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup grated Gruyère over everything.
2 min
Tip: Work quickly so the pan doesn't lose its heat.
- 6
Return the skillet to the oven. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. You’re looking for a slight center jiggle, deeply blistered asparagus, and lacy, dark golden edges pulling away from the cast iron.
22 min
Tip: If the asparagus starts looking too charred before the center sets, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
- 7
Remove from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes before slicing into hefty wedges. It will deflate slightly as it cools—that’s exactly what it should do.
5 min
Tip: Serve warm directly from the skillet.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: Tear your bread, don’t slice it. Craggy, torn edges catch the egg mixture and crisp up infinitely better than neat cubes. Don’t skip preheating the skillet. The French term is 'panade'—essentially a rustic, savory bread pudding—but if you pour it into a cold pan, the crumb gets tight like a bad alibi. A preheated pan guarantees a fried, lacy crust. We’re not suffering for brunch.
Camille Roux
Café-level bakes, weeknight methods, zero compromise.
Camille “Cami” Roux was born in Paris with flour in her hair and a healthy skepticism of culinary dogma. She grew up around neighborhood boulangeries that treated crust and crumb like religion—but what stuck with her wasn’t rigid tradition. It was the quiet precision: good butter that actually tastes like milk, patient fermentation that builds flavor for free, and desserts that know when to stop before they get cloying. After moving to the Bay Area, Cami trained in a bread-and-pastry scene obsessed with texture, naturally leavened doughs, and seasonal fruit—Tartine energy, minus the martyrdom. She became known for loaves that sing when they cool, jammy tarts with clean edges, and “how is this so good?” weeknight pastries made with a few smart shortcuts. Her motto is high impact, low fuss: splurge where it counts (butter, salt, time), streamline the rest (sheet pans, one bowl, cold-proofing). If it doesn’t improve flavor or structure, it doesn’t earn a step.