Pea and Asparagus Flan, or Sformato di Piselli e Asparagi: This will be very nice in late spring or early summer, and will be best if you use smaller, richly flavored asparagus. It will work well as a primarily vegetarian entrée for four, and can also be used as an antipasto (in association with other things) if you're serving more people.
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) peas in the pod; shelled this will be about a pound, or 500 g
- 12 ounces (300 g) asparagus tips
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 pound (100 g) ham, diced
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup (50 g) flour
- 2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- Salt
Preparation:
Shell the peas and boil them for 10 minutes in lightly salted water. Drain them and let them coolWhile the peas are cooling prepare the asparagus spears, washing them and cutting the tips and the part of the stalks that is tender; discard the rest.
Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).
Cream the butter. Work the eggs into it one at a time, and then the flour; next, add the milk in a slow stream while beating the mixture with a whisk; should lumps form whisk them out before adding more milk. Once you have added all the milk and the cream is homogenous, stir in the peas, asparagus, and ham.
Butter and dust with bread crumbs a round mold large enough to contain the ingredients, transfer the cream into it, and bake the flan for about an hour. Unmold it and serve.
