Savory Bacon and Crab Bread Pudding Eggs Benedict

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

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.