Teddy's Recipe For Simple Savory Flan

Indubitably, dear reader! I often make myself flan for tea, especially if there's no-one else in the house. Mainly because it's exceptionally quick and easy. And it also tastes good!

First up, there's a little debate as to what a flan actually is. The answer is simple: there are two types of flan. Savory and sweet. The kind I make includes ham and cottage cheese, which is therefore savory. The sweet version is the traditional custard/caramel pudding. The thing I make is very similar to quiche. But it isn't quiche, trust me. If you really want to call it that though, by all means do.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
100 ml milk (any variety will do. Not human milk though.)
1 tablespoon of flour
A tub of cottage cheese (you can use as much as you want, but I tend to put an entire tub in.)
1 spring onion/1 sausage (you can put either of these in. I tend to use sausage because I find all varieties of onions repulsive. You're welcome to use one if you wish though.)
1 pack of ham

You will also need:
A small pie/pastry dish (the flan will fill the dish, so choose the size appropriately.)
A fork and knife
A small dish with high sides (you'll be mixing something in this, but it won't be much.)
A larger dish, suitable for beating eggs in (the entire mixture'll be going in this,  so make sure it's fairly large.)
An oven, preheated to 200 degrees c.

Instructions:
1, Line the pastry dish with your ham. Try and use it all: you don't want any gaps. Try and have the ham at the edges hanging over, as you'll be folding it before you pop it in the oven.

1, Crack the eggs into the large dish. Don't get any shell in! I hold the egg in my fist with a gap between my third and fourth fingers, and crack the egg hard in that gap. Try that if you usually have trouble.

2, Grab your fork and beat those eggs into a smooth yellow liquid.

3, But the flour into the smaller dish. Pour the milk onto it and mix it together with your fork. Once you've got a gloopy, thick liquid, stop. Do this quick, as that stuff can go... funny if you leave it.

4, Pour that gloop you just made into the larger dish and beat it together with the eggs.

5, Dice your spring onion/sausage. Be careful if you're using an onion. We all know what they do to your eyes. Wash your hands immediately when you're done with it. Whatever you do, don't touch your eyes!

6, Pop the diced onion/sausage into the large dish. grab your tub of cottage cheese and empty that into the dish as well (Put in a fair bit, if not the whole thing. Trust me, you want a lot in there, if only so you don't end up with an inedible mess.

7, Mix everything in that dish together. You want it so it looks perfectly blended. You want the egg mixed with the cheese to help the thing bind together.

8, Is it all mixed? Good. Pour it into the pastry dish, then fold the edges of the ham down over the mixture. You did leave some hanging out over the edges before, didn't you?

9, With all that done, pop it into the oven. If you increased any of the measurements, it may need to stay in longer. if you used the same measurements as me, keep it in for 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees c. Keep checking on it to see how it's doing. Don't worry if some of the ham burns on top, just take it as a sign that it's either done or nearly done. What the mixture gets a nice golden-brown crust, it's done. So take it out!


With all that done, I hope you enjoy! You can also do this for parties, just increase all the measurements. It's really quick, simple and filling, I find. If you have any questions, drop me a comment or email at the usual address. Enjoy!

Until next time!
Teddy