cheese flan with pear sauce

Pears and cheese are a well-liked combination in Italy, whether paired at the end of a meal or together in dishes such as this one which chef Marco Sposino cooks. If you’re not a fan of sweetness with cheese, then make this without the pear sauce. The fl ans are rather fragile when removed from the oven, so don’t demould when they are still hot. A single fl an makes a light meal or starter. Or, as a main meal, serve two fl ans each with a salad (and not the sauce), perhaps the green bean salad on page 49 if you’re not a fan of sweetness with cheese.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

You will need 8 individual foil pudding dishes or moulds, about 8cm in diameter and 5cm deep, to make the fl ans.

Step 2

Place the pears, olive oil and a pinch of sea salt fl akes in a saucepan over a low heat, and cook for about 30 minutes, until very soft. The sugar in the pears may cause them to catch on the bottom of the pan so add a splash of water as soon as you notice this, and periodically agitate the pan. Remove from the heat and leave the pears to cool a little before blitzing to a sauce with a handheld blender. Set aside.

Step 3

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4.

Step 4

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs and egg yolks. Mix in the grated cheese and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Step 5

Thoroughly grease the 8 moulds with a little olive oil. Spoon the mixture equally into the moulds until each is half full. Put the moulds into a baking tray and surround them with hot water from a kettle so that the water comes half way up the mounds. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and provide some resistance when touched.

Step 6

Remove the moulds from the baking tray and leave the fl ans to cool on a rack for about 5 minutes, or until they are cool enough to handle. They are fragile when hot but delicious eaten warm, so don’t leave them to cool too much.

Step 7

To serve, invert each mould onto your hand and tap to release the fl an.

Step 8

Carefully place each one on a plate with the golden side uppermost.

Step 9

Put the pear sauce in a dish so that diners can help themselves. Serve straight away.