White Asparagus Flan

The white asparagus flan is a delicious and sophisticated dish, perfect for a special occasion or as an appetizer for an elegant dinner. Here’s how to prepare it with an Italian touch.

Ingredients

• 500 g of white asparagus
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 100 ml of fresh cream
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• Butter for greasing the ramekins
• Breadcrumbs for dusting the ramekins

Preparation

1. First, clean the asparagus: remove the woody part of the stem and, with a peeler, peel off the tougher outer part of the stalks. Wash the asparagus thoroughly.

2. Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water until tender. Once cooked, drain them and blend most of the stems in a mixer, keeping some for final decoration, if you wish.

3. Take the egg yolks and whole eggs and beat them in a bowl. Add the cream, grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg, mixing well.

4. Stir the white asparagus cream into the egg and cream mixture until you have a homogeneous mixture.

5. Take individual soufflé or flan molds (if you don’t have individual ones, you can also use a larger mold). Grease them with butter and dust with breadcrumbs, removing the excess.

6. Fill the molds with the mixture and bake in a preheated oven in a water bath at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 25-30 minutes. The flans are ready when the surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Let the flans cool slightly before unmolding to prevent them from breaking.

To serve, accompany the flans with a simple cream-based sauce and a sprinkle of chopped chives, or with a light asparagus velouté.

Enjoy your cooking and bon appétit!

Curiosity

Asparagus is valued in the kitchen not only for its delicate taste but also for its nutritional and diuretic properties. In particular, white asparagus is less bitter than green asparagus because it grows underground, shielded from sunlight which is responsible for the formation of chlorophyll.