COURGETTES & PDO PARMIGIANO REGGIANO MINI FLANS

COURGETTES & PDO PARMIGIANO REGGIANO MINI FLANS

Ingredients for the mini flans:

1 COURGETTE (about 285g=10,05oz)

160g FRESH CREAM (=5,64oz=⅔ cup)

80g PDO PARMIGIANO REGGIANO BONAT 26/28 months (=2,82oz=¾ cup)

3 EGGS (=160g=5,64oz)

10g EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (=0,35oz=¾ tbsp)

TABLE SALT to taste

BLACK PEPPER to taste

Ingredients for the sauce:

50g FRESH CREAM (=1,76oz=¼ cup)

50g WHOLE MILK (=1,76oz=¼ cup)

50g PDO PARMIGIANO REGGIANO BONAT 16 months (=1,76oz=½ cup)

TABLE SALT to taste

BLACK PEPPER to taste

Method:

Wash and dry the courgette. Take away the far ends, then make it into thin slices using a mandolin or any other slicer (you will get about 270g=9,52oz courgette slices).

Warm extra-virgin olive oil up in a pan, then add courgette slices. Cook at medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until they lose water and brown, while stirring. Let cool down (to fasten the process you can move them to a cold plate or bowl, making sure to separate them as much as possible).

In the meantime, grate PDO Parmigiano Reggiano Bonat (both ageings).

Prepare the sauce, mixing fresh cream, whole milk, table salt and black pepper in a small pot. Cook at low heat and keep stirring until it starts boiling. Turn the fire off and add PDO Parmigiano Reggiano Bonat 16 months (or 26/28 months if you prefer a stronger flavor). Stir until it melts, then blend to make sure the texture is a smooth one. Let it cool down a bit: it might look too liquid at the beginning, but it will thicken while cooling down. Keep an eye on it, mixing here and then.

Prepare the mini-flans, blending courgette, fresh cream, table salt and black pepper. Add PDO Parmigiano Reggiano Bonat 26/28 months and eggs, then blend again.

Grease 4 little porcelain moulds (ø 7 cm) with a cooking spray (or rubbing butter, then coating it with flour), then fill them with the mixture up to ¾ of their capacity. Lay the filled moulds on a baking tray and cook in preheated oven at 200°C (=392°F) for about 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the mini flans in for 3 more minutes. The amount of baking time can vary due to the amount of humidity of the mixture, as some courgettes are more watery than others.

Leave the courgettes & PDO Parmigiano Reggiano mini flans a few minutes in the mould to let them set (they will grow unevenly in the oven, but then they will go back to a regular shape), then top them with the thickened sauce.

You can decide to use a different PDO Parmigiano Reggiano ageing to change the taste of the recipe or even substitute courgettes with another veggie: the result will always be a tasty but delicate starter for any occasion!