Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups dry bread cubes
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 strip bacon, chopped
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup minced red bell pepper
⅓ cup chicken broth, or more as needed
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 large egg
½ lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
4 ounces fresh lump crabmeat
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
½ tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 eggs
¼ cup hollandaise sauce
1 pinch cayenne pepper, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Butter the insides of 2 (10-ounce) ramekins and place on a baking sheet.
Place bread cubes into a large bowl, set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir bacon in hot oil until browned and almost crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove excess oil from skillet and discard.
Stir in onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in red pepper and cook for an additional minute.
Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream; cook until mixture begins to simmer, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour cream mixture over bread cubes and mix thoroughly until all liquid is absorbed.
Stir in 1 egg, lemon juice, tarragon, and lemon zest.
Mix in crabmeat, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Spoon Mixture into prepared ramekins and bake in a preheated oven until tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Remove ramekins from oven and top each bread pudding with a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce over each egg. Garnish with cayenne pepper.