Fennel bread and butter pudding

1. For the pudding, place the milk and fennel seeds in a pan, bring to the boil, then set aside and leave to infuse for up to 3 hours. For the custard, place the milk, cream, ginger and vanilla in a pan and bring to the boil, then leave to infuse in the same way.
2. Finish the pudding: beat the whole eggs and 100g sugar together then strain over the fennel-flavoured milk. Beat well until the sugar dissolves.
3. Butter a 1.5l (3pt) rectangular ovenproof dish. Spread the butter over the brioche then arrange in a couple of overlapping layers. Pour the fennel custard over the brioche pushing it down with a spoon until it is submerged. Leave to soak for 30 mins.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 C / Fan 160 C / Gas 4. Put a kettle of water on to boil. Place the dish in a roasting tin and pour boiling water from the kettle to come half way up the outside of the dish. Sprinkle the top with the extra sugar. Bake for 25-30 mins or until just set and slightly risen.
5. Meanwhile finish the ginger custard: beat the egg yolks with the sugar; strain over the ginger milk then return to the rinsed out pan. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Pour into a jug and cool.
6. Once cooked, pop the pudding under a hot grill and cook for a couple of minutes until the sugary top has carmelised. Serve warm in squares with the ginger custard spooned around. 

*Plus infusing time