We typically share recipes that are fairly accessible for all types of home cooks. This month Chef Jonathon is turning up the heat to give you all a culinary challenge. If you make this custard recipe, we’d love to see how it turns out! Send us a photo or post it on Instagram or Facebook and tag @vistaverderanch.
Parmesan Custard with Glazed Spring Vegetables
Serves 6 as an appetizer.
Ingredients for flan:
2/3c. Cream
2/3c. Whole Milk
3 ½ ounce Parmesan, cut into ½” pieces
2ea Eggs
1ea Egg yolk
1/2t Kosher salt
1/8t White pepper
Method:
- Bring cream, milk, and cheese to simmer in a small sauce pot. Turn off the heat,
cover, and let steep for 45 minutes
- Heat oven to 250˚
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and yolks
- Strain cream, bring to boil, temper into egg mixture
- Whisk in salt and pepper
- Butter 6ea 3-ounce timbale molds. Fill 2/3 full with custard, place in baking
dish
- Add enough hot water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the
timbale molds.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes carefully remove foil and jiggle one of the center molds.
Custards should jiggle like jello and give the impression that the custard is
set.
- Once set, CAREFULLY remove custards from the oven, remove foil, and set aside
until needed. Meanwhile…
Glazed Spring Vegetables
Ingredients:
18 large Asparagus spears
1 cup Shelled English Peas
1c Fava Beans
18ea small morel mushrooms, cleaned
1ea Shallot, slice into rings
3 Tbs Butter
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
optional: chive blossoms or other edible flowers
Method:
- Trim the top 1 to 1 ½ “of asparagus, nibble on stalks
- Bring a medium sauce pot filled with water and salted (almost like the ocean)
- prepare an ice bath
- Blanch asparagus for 3 minutes, remove and shock in an ice bath
- In the same water, blanch peas for 5 minutes, shock
- If using fava beans, remove beans from the pod, blanch 5 minutes, and shock. Once
cool, using a sharp paring knife, make a small incision in the husk and pinch the bean
out. Set aside
- Heat a medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter and about ¼
cup water. Once butter is melted and the mixture is boiling add veggies and cover
until the liquid returns to simmer. At that point season lightly with kosher and gently
toss veggies.
- let cook until the water has evaporated and the butter has glazed veggies.
To serve:
- Run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the custard, turn it out onto a plate and
carefully spoon some of the veggies around. Serve immediately