Ham & Onion Flan

When you eat this flan, it's hard to imagine it isn't packed with butter and cream because it tastes so delicious; but in fact it is remarkably healthy and surprisingly cholesterol-friendly. It is also cheerfully easy to make, and makes for a great mid-week supper recipe. Enjoy it with a couple of sliced tomatoes and red onions...

Pastry

  • 240g Plain Flour
  • Couple of large pinches of Salt
  • 6 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 63ml Cold Water

Filling

  • 4 or 5 Free Range Eggs
  • Cooked Ham
  • 2 or 3 Onions
  • Olive Oil
  • Parsley or Rocket (optional)
  • Salt & Pepper

 

Start by making the Pastry… Combine a couple of big pinches of Salt and 240g Plain Flour (’00′ grade is good here) with 6 tbsp Olive Oil.  Mix them until they go a bit breadcrumb-y (using hands is even better).  Add the 63ml of Cold Water and bring together into a dough.  Don’t knead it – just pull it together so it’s in one lump.  Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for half an hour

Pre-heat the oven to 190˚c and roll out the chilled Pastry on a lightly floured surface.  Gently fit the Pastry into a (lightly-oiled) flan dish (roughly 25cm across and a few cm deep, maybe a bit less deep than traditional quiche?!).  Bake filled with greaseproof paper and baking beads (or pasta etc) for 17 – 18 mins and then remove the baking beads and paper and cook for a further 5 – 7 mins until the Pastry is cooked and starting to go golden.  At this point, remove from the oven and allow to cool, in its flan dish but on a rack, for half an hour

Meanwhile, prepare the filling…

Finely chop some cooked Ham

Finely slice 2 or 3 Onions and gently fry them in some Olive Oil with a big pinch of Salt and a teaspoon of Sugar.  Keep frying and stirring for 15 – 20 minutes or until the Onions are really soft and are caramelised and sweet

Break and beat 4 or 5 Free Range Eggs gently

Add the chopped Ham and the cooked Onions to the Pastry case… arranging them evenly so each portion is similar

Then sprinkle some chopped Rocket or Parsley on top

Then gently pour the beaten Egg over until the flan dish is pretty full, but definitely not filling out over the top

Bake for 30 – 40 mins at 180˚c – or until the Flan is looking cooked and not wobbling too much.  You may want to gently cover it with foil half way through cooking to avoid it browning…

Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes at least before slicing

Is delicious warm but also cold the next day…

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