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Brioche with Olives, Gruyere, Smoked Bacon & Tomato

Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008

No I haven’t abandoned you, it’s just that I’m a little bit too busy for blogging these days. I have a bunch of recipes and photographs ready to be posted but I rarely get the time to write a nice post. Emails go unanswered. I don’t respond to comments. My growing beard makes me look like Robinson Crusoe.

Something that makes me happy is this truly fantastic recipe for a savory loaf cake. The one pictured below lasted less than 45 min at Big Bossman’s and generated lots of oohhs and aahhs in its short life. If you never tried a savory cake this is your chance, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. How could you go wrong really with a warm and soft brioche type cake filled with smoked bacon, gruyere, green olives and sundried tomatoes. Serve it with a green salad for a quick lunch on the go. Tell me what you think.

Olive/Gruyere/Smoked Bacon/Tomato Brioche

(serves 6)

3 eggs
1/2 cup (100g) butter, melted
9 tablespoon (55g) flour
1 tablespoon (11g) baking powder
1 pinch salt
3 oz (100g) gruyere cheese, grated
3 tablespoons (45ml) milk
15 tomato confit slices or sundried tomatoes, marinated
20 green olives, pitted
5 oz (150g) smoked bacon bits or smoked duck breast

  • Mix the eggs, melted butter, flour, baking powder, salt, gruyere and milk. Allow the batter to rest for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400’F.
  • Place the batter in a buttered loaf pan, arranging the tomatoes, pitted olives and bacon bits evenly throughout.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Unmold and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  • Serve with a salad of frisee lettuce or a green salad. You can vary this recipe in many ways. Smoked duck breast could subsitute the smoked bacon for example. Have fun!

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    Monday, October 13th, 2008 Bread, Brunch
    • Manggy

      Hmm, why does it add up to more than 100%?! And why do you only sleep for 15 minutes a day?! And why does “Censored” take up a few seconds… Tsk tsk! That’s weak 😉
      Hee hee, I’m kidding as usual. It must be the shock of seeing a cake recipe with no sugar, hahaha :) I’d love to give your cake a try anytime! Maybe when I’m in New York?

    • Giff

      oh hell yes. nice recipe zen

    • Clumbsy Cookie

      You allways make me laugh. I think you can save time by doing activities at the same time: drinking while you commute, curse while you work (as you don’t do it allready), you can also pair the censored part with relaxing or eating ;)… See I just saved you 15% of your time to blog! Oh man I should have been a teacher as well…

    • Adam

      Hahha I wish the graphs in school were like that one. Censored? I wonder what happens there. Maybe it’s the result of drinking, cursing, and commuting all put together :)

      The Zen Man and his love affair with bacon… I don’t think I’ll ever see it end, and I never want it to :)

    • Elle

      Gruyere is one of my weaknesses, Z. And you had to go and pair it with bacon, didn’t you, you enabler.

      And I’d say only 5% of the day spent cursing is pretty f’ing good! 😉

    • TavoLini

      Robinson Crusoe! As primitive as can be…

      the loaf looks DELICIOUS!

    • Mike of Mike’s Table

      lol, excellent chart.

      I always love the style of your dishes and this for reasons I can’t quite pin down is so clearly your style. It sounds so damn good! Savory cake definitely never entered my mind before, but I’d love to try this

    • Colloquial Cook

      Ah, le voilà le fameux “cake” comme on dit chez nous! Je suis à 100% pour les morceaux de magret à la place du bacon, avec une salade de roquette, c’est le paradis.
      Bon, et puis on arrête de casser du sucre sur le dos des profs, hein 😀 n’oublions pas qu’ils donnent beaucoup d’eux, surtout pendant les grèves 😉

    • My Sweet & Saucy

      Sorry life is so crazy! This loaf looks mighty good though!

    • Dawn

      Oh boy this is going to be made very soon. I am a huge lover of savory breads (more so than sweets) and olives. This is just awesome–I must make this.

    • Darius T. Williams

      Ahh – looks great! Wonderful pics…really wonderful.

      What kind of cam are u using?

      -DTW
      http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

    • Big Boys Oven

      love the way you show your spend graphically and very detail too, lovely loaf too!

    • canarygirl

      Heee! “censored” lmfao That loaf looks really really good…yum!

    • sekerziyafe

      Hii..really wonderful.
      thank you for recipies.

    • Peter M

      It’s good to see you haven’t let your drinking responsibilities slip, bravo!

      This loaf is tres colourful, fine pairing with a soup.

    • Nina Timm

      I think there is only one job worse than a chef’s and that is a mother’s. ….sorry I am also just having a bad day!
      The savory loaf is to die for!!!

    • Gloria

      Dear Zen chef is a pleasure see you have STILL your sense of humor!! You make me laugh still and is so good!! Really I thought you abandonen us, so sad and you sometimes stopping by at my Blog and nothing!!
      The good thing is we missed you a lot!!! and this a amazing and tasty recipes, xxxGloria

    • Maggie

      This sounds delicious! If there is no yeast why does it rest for an hour? (Feel free to tell me to shut up and just follow the directions.)

    • Stacey Snacks

      I had something similar in Paris recently, but had chorizo or some type of spicy French sausage.
      Delicious!
      I will be making this!

      Stacey

    • miss.cupcake.face

      yes, I also wonder what the 'censored' part entails… or maybe I don't.
      & I have something for you on my blog!

    • foodhuntress79

      The Institute for Neurotic Chefs has a different diagnosis for me: an unknown psychological disorder describable only in Japanese. Good thing you can still create a fantastic loaf- so simple but seems to taste great. And good thing you can still cook!

      P.s. how are you, chef gone wild? (i.e., Robinson Crusoe look). Are you ok? Hey, life is too short! 😛

    • cook eat FRET

      wonderful
      i recently did something like this with chorizo and pistachio’s and sun dried tomatoes and other stuff i can’t recall…

      just tell me you’re having fun and then the work isn’t so bad….

    • cakewardrobe

      Your life looks as busy as the Olive/Gruyere/Smoked Bacon on that tomato loaf!!!!! xoxo

    • AzAzura

      Hi Zen ,
      I agree with your graph, the ood is vbrilliant and after a year of knowing you , not even one second that I don’t think of you as “Chef genius”

    • glamah16

      Oh that’s divine. At least your food is consumed at Big Bossmans, and why shouldnt it? I just find the rich are odd with food and seem to go out of their way to not eat. You have an apprciative employer, so its all worth it in the end.

    • jesse

      I want some of that, gimme gimme!

    • Tartelette

      T’as oublie la case plage avec moi en bikini rouge :)
      Ah ce p’tit cake me rappelle ceux de ma maman…mais en meilleur…lui repete pas mais les siens on tendance a ce casser en petites miettes.

    • Chicopea

      The thing that concerns me most is that last percentage. There are ways to work on that!

      What a nice balance of flavors here mmmm!

    • Chicken And Waffles

      You had me at pork.

    • peter balmat

      Thank you for the great recipes. I made the mille crepe cake with chestnut and burnt orange caramel. No leftovers,..but I did get some requests to use hazelnut praline whipped cream filling next with a mocha sauce.

      I am currently making the Olive, Gruyère, tomatoes, bacon loaf.

      Thank you for your humor, pictures, and wonderful cooking tips.

      My wife is making a website for me to post recipes too.