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