Cut the pumpkin challah into 1 inch squares and lightly toss in olive oil, fleur du sel to taste, 1 sprig thyme, ½ sprig and ½ sprig rosemary. Toast in oven at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes until crunchy and lightly browned.
Cut the pumpkin challah into 1 inch squares and lightly toss in olive oil, fleur du sel to taste, 1 sprig thyme, ½ sprig and ½ sprig rosemary. Toast in oven at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes until crunchy and lightly browned.
Sautee your mushrooms until nice and crunchy browned over medium heat in olive oil in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan otherwise your mushrooms will steam and never brown. For the mushroom tops, toss in olive oil and fleur du sel and roast in the oven alongside the breadcrumbs for about 25 minutes. Set aside.
Warm the whole milk until just below steaming. In a large deep sauté pan, sauté the shallots until just translucent. Add in the toasted pumpkin challah, mushrooms, the remaining herbs, a dash of fleur du sel to taste and mix well. Add in the warmed whole milk until the mixture is nice and soft, almost like a pudding. Add in additional whole milk if needed – the mixture should be very moist. Transfer entire mixture to an olive oiled baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the half and half or the cream. Add the mushroom tops to the layer and the parmesan cheese. Bake covered for about 25 minutes, then uncovered for another 20-25 minutes until the top is nice and crunchy brown. Serve hot.
