Roasted Chicken And Bread Pudding

Chef Laurent Tourondel has cooked all over the world, including in England, Moscow, Las Vegas and his native France.

He's now settled in New York and over the past year and a half has opened a string of popular restaurants including BLT Steak, BLT Fish and, most recently, BLT Prime.

This Saturday, he brings his culinary skills to the Chef on a Shoestring challenge. He's agreed to prepare a meal for four on the Saturday Early Show's $40 budget. His menu? Spinach Salad; Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary; Creamed Corn Succotash; and Strawberry Bread Pudding.

The following are his recipes:

Spinach Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 bunches Baby Spinach
1/2 head Radicchio
8 pieces Double-Cut Smoked Bacon
2 Beefsteak Tomatoes
1/2 cup Blue Cheese
1 small Red Onion
1/2 cup Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Roughly chop radicchio, dice the tomatoes and thinly slice the red onion.
2. Add all vegetables to the spinach.
3. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar together and season to taste.
4. Gently toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette until the leaves are evenly coated.
5. Crumble the bacon and blue cheese on top and serve immediately.

Ingredients:
1 whole 4-lb chicken
12 ounces soft butter
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
3 lemons, scrubbed and finely diced
1 1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine soft butter with rosemary, bread crumbs and lemon.
2. Gently lift skin of chicken and stuff bread-crumb mixture under skin, evenly distributing all over the chicken.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Brush chicken with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place on an oiled roasting pan. Cook for 1 hour or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork.

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh Corn Kernels,
6 strips Applewood Smoked Bacon
1 small White Onion, diced
3/4 cup Fava beans
3/4 cup Sugar Snap Peas
1 tablespoon Parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Chives, finely chopped
3/4 cup Heavy Cream

Method:

1. Bring salted water to a boil. Blanch 3 cups of corn kernels for 3 minutes and then shock in ice water.
2. Blanch the Fava beans for 1 minute and shock in ice water. Repeat this process for the snap peas as well.
3. Put the remaining cup of corn in a blender with a few tablespoons of water and blend until very thin and liquid. Pass thru a strainer and reserve juice. Discard any solids.
4. Cut bacon width-wise into 1/4 inch pieces. Sauté bacon until a little of the fat that has rendered. Add the onion and cook until soft.
5. Add the blanched corn, peas and Fava beans to the pan.
6. Add heavy cream, bring to a boil and add reserved corn juice.
7. Remove from heat and add herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Ingredients:
1 pound brioche bread or challah
1 pint strawberries
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk

Method:

1. Remove the crusts from the brioche and cut the bread into small cubes. You should have about 8 cups.
2. Remove stems and white inner core of strawberries and cut into quarters.
3. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk and 1/4 cup of the milk until blended.
4. In a medium saucepan bring the cream, remaining 1-3/4 cups milk, zests, vanilla and sugar to a boil. Stir until the sugar is melted.
5. Gradually pour the hot liquid over the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in the brioche and strawberries.
6. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
7. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
8. Butter an 8-cup baking dish and spoon the brioche mixture into the prepared dish. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown.
9. To serve the pudding, top with vanilla ice cream and serve warm or at room temperature.