Parmesan Flans with Tomatoes and Basil
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Use a variety of colorful tomatoes, including red, yellow, orange, and green, to make this elegant dish more visually appealing. Serve as an appetizer or side dish, or pair it with a chilled soup, salad, and wine for a light meal.
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°.
Step 2
Coat 4 (6-ounce) custard cups or ramekins with cooking spray. Place 3 tablespoons flour in a medium bowl. Gradually add milk to bowl, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Add egg whites and eggs; stir well. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; stir well. Divide mixture evenly among prepared custard cups. Place custard cups in a 9-inch square baking pan; add hot water to the pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until puffy and set.
Step 3
Combine tomato, dash of salt, and dash of pepper in a medium bowl. Loosen edges of flans with a knife or rubber spatula. Place a plate, upside down, on top of each cup; invert onto plates. Spoon 1/2 cup tomato mixture over each flan. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon basil.
Step 4
Wine note: These scrumptious flans take much of their savoriness from the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Because the cheese has a nutty/salty flavor, it pairs well with an earthy light red. Traditionally, Chianti would fill this bill, but for a more modern twist, try a California pinot noir instead. Pinot is an all-around winner with most hard cheeses. A favorite: Saintsbury 2006 Pinot Noir from Carneros, California, about $ —Karen MacNeil
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merindol's Review
I agree with the reviewer below. To avoid the rubberiness, I think I'll try it again in a slower oven for 10 minutes longer, to try for a creamier consistency. I also could have used more parmesan to make the flavor more intense (I used parmigiano reggiano).
muttnut's Review
This was actually really good. And easy and fast. It looked nice with different color tomatoes - gotta have fresh ripe tomatoes for this or it wouldn't be as good. I'd definitely make it again. My husband rarely comments on dishes and he really liked this. I think it would also be good with a balsalmic reduction sauce drizzled over it or around it.
Catwoman's Review
I tried this because I was curious. It was interesting... Made exactly as directed - mine was a bit soft in the middle, and all the cheese/pepper seemed to settle at the bottom (becoming the top), making it sorta rubbery. It did taste like a plain quiche.
detailaddict's Review