This flan will look beautiful as an appetizer at your next party, and it’s also a great way to trick your kids into eating veggies!

Jerusalem artichokes flan with cheese fondue and roasted leeks

Flan ingredients:

4 cups Jerusalem artichokes (a.k.a. sunchokes), peeled & diced

1 ½ cup leeks, diced

2 oz butter

3 oz sour cream

4 oz  whole milk

3 eggs

2 tsp corn starch

3 oz parmigiano reggiano, grated

salt & pepper to taste

¼ tsp nutmeg, ground

Cheese fondue ingredients:

4 oz gruyere, grated

1 tsp butter

1 tsp flour

4 oz milk

Instructions:

Place the artichokes and the leeks in a baking dish and season them with salt and pepper and butter. Wrap with tin foil and bake in a preheated oven at 375F until completely cooked.

Remove cover to allow drying for a few minutes. Allow to cool before proceeding to next step.

Place the cooked artichoke mixture in a food processor and blend well.

Add the milk, the cheese and the egg along with the starch. Add the nutmeg, taste for correct seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Butter 8 ramekins and flour them well – shaking off excess. Then pour the mixture to almost the top and tap to settle them.

Place in a baking pan cook in a preheated oven at 375F until firm. Remove from oven and keep warm.

To make the cheese sauce:

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Then add the flour, temper until all the lumps are dissolved.

Then add the milk, whisk well and simmer for a few minutes.

Season to taste, then remove from fire immediately. Add the gruyere and whisk well.

Place some sauce on a plate and turn a flan onto it. Garnish with some roasted leeks on top and some Parmigiano shavings.

Makes 6-8 servings

Courtesy Massimo Capra, www.massimocapra.com