Boxing Day!
This easy leek flan, an old Delia Smith recipe, is a delicious combination with left over turkey from Christmas lunch.
Goat’s cheese, the subtle leeks, and the turkey, chicken or ham, or even better a mix of all three, creates a nice and sturdy base…But the best part is in the pastry. Using Gruyere cheese in the dough gives your flan a nice edge and a very satisfying aftertaste.
Leek Flan With Leftover Turkey & Chèvre Cheese
Ingredients
For the cheese pastry:
50 g Gruyere cheese, grated
175 g self-rising flour
75 g butter
½ teaspoon mustard powder
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
For the filling:
300 g cooked turkey, chicken or ham (or a mixture), thinly sliced
450 g leeks, washed thoroughly and sliced
100 g (1 cup) chèvre cheese, crumbled
40 g butter, plus 1 teaspoon
400 ml milk, or a mixture of milk and cream
25 g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 large egg, beaten
cayenne pepper
Method
1. For the pastry: Rub the flour into the butter until crumbly, then add the cheese, mustard and seasoning together with just enough cold water to make a dough—it shouldn’t stick to the bowl. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
2. For the filling: Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a wide pan, and while keeping the heat low, add the leeks and gently cook, for about 6 minutes.
After cooking, place the leeks in a sieve, strain the juices into a bowl and set aside.
3. In the meanwhile preheat the oven at 180°C (350°F)
4. Pre-bake the pastry: Roll out the cooled pastry and with it line a greased and floured quiche tin. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, place the tin on the centre shelf of the oven and pre-bake for 15 minutes
5. Back to the filling: Pour the 40 g of butter, milk and flour into a saucepan and while continually whisking bring it to a boil, cooking until it is smooth and thick. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg, then leave it to simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the pastry from the oven and arrange the leeks across the base, followed by the slices of turkey, chicken or ham.
6. Pour the reserved leek juice into the sauce; add 75 g crumbled chèvre cheese and the beaten egg. Mix well. Pour the sauce evenly over the contents of the flan and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top together with a dusting of cayenne.
7. Bake the flan at the same temperature as above (180°C (350°F) on a baking sheet for 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely browned on top.
