One of our last meals in Italy began with this delectable flan my mother made. Although flan originated from Spanish speaking countries the Italians have adopted this hearty dish and turned what is typically a sweet custard into a savory one, with the exception of the panna cotta of course. It is common to find not only leek flans in Italian cookbooks but also zucchini, cauliflower and even mushroom. No matter which veggie you decide to use this dish comes out creamy and satisfying every time. 

This recipe comes from an Italian cookbook with metric measurements  so I apologize if I converted incorrectly. Luckily this dish is very hard to mess up :)  

Leek Flan

• 110 g of flour (about 1 cup)
• 3/4L of milk (about 3 cups)
• 200g butter (about 14 tbsp)
• 3-4 leeks
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Cut the ends of the leeks and discard the green parts. Slice them into thin rings. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté the leeks until tender.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the flour and mix with a whisk. Add the milk slowly and keep stirring. The mixture will become thick and smooth. This could take several minutes. Remove from heat

In a food processor, blend the leeks then stir them into the butter and milk mixture.

Add the four eggs and stir until you obtain a smooth mixture. Place the mixture halfway into medium sized ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish, lined with a tea towel, and pour in boiling water until the dish is about two thirds full. Ensure that the tea towel is completely submerged in the water or else it could catch fire. (The tea towel is to prevent the ramekins from moving in the water).  Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated 170C (Around 350F) oven.

Carefully place a plate atop the ramekin and flip over. If the mixture does not come out you can run a sharp knife around the mould and then flip.

We garnished this with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes sautéed in balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy!