Broccoli Flans with Anchovy Sauce

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Flans

9 oz (250 g) broccoli, or about 1½ cups florets
⅔ cup (150 ml) cream
1 oz (25 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about ¼ cup)
3 large eggs
2 tsp (10 g) unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Anchovy Sauce

2 salted anchovies
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).

Cook the broccoli:

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the broccoli and cook until the stems are tender when pierced with a fork.

Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well.
Prepare the flan mixture:

In a blender, combine the cooked broccoli, cream, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and eggs. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the molds:

Butter individual ramekins or timbale molds. Pour the broccoli mixture into them.

Bake:

Place the ramekins in a roasting pan. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins (creating a bain-marie).
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until set.

Make the anchovy sauce:

While the flans bake, rinse the salted anchovies thoroughly to remove excess salt.
Fillet them if necessary.

In a blender, combine the anchovies and olive oil, blending until smooth.
Serve:

Remove the flans from the oven and water bath.
Let them cool slightly.

Invert each flan onto a serving plate and drizzle with the anchovy sauce.

Serving Tip

These delicate broccoli flans pair beautifully with a crisp white wine such as Verdicchio or Pinot Grigio and a light salad on the side.

This recipe is a variation of a traditional Italian vegetable timbale (flan) with anchovy sauce, inspired by classical Italian cookery such as found in The Silver Spoon (Phaidon Press, 2005) and other reputable Italian culinary sources.

Broccoli Flans with Anchovy Sauce