Springtime Savory Crab and Ramp Flan

By John, 2 June, 2013

Description

This delicious springtime brunch dish features two seasonal stars: Ramps and Fiddleheads, along with crabmeat and chanterelles for a delicate and flavorful feast.

Yield

12 Servings

Preparation time

1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 T Butter

8 oz ramps (cleaned and trimmed, white part sliced)

8 oz steamed fiddleheads

8 oz Jonah crab meat

2 oz dried chanterelles (soaked in boiling water)

4 Eggs (lightly beaten)

11 oz Heavy Cream

1 pn White Pepper

1 pn Sea Salt

Instructions

Clean and trim the ramps. Slice the white and pink parts of the bases very thinly.
Break up the dried chanterelles and then soak them in boiling water for at least 15 minutes.
Steam the fiddleheads for just a few minutes, and then steam the ramp greens for a minute. Plunge both in cold water as soon as they are done.
Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper (you can buy it pre-cut at cake-decorating supply shops).
Mix the eggs and add the cream.
Sautee the sliced ramps until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the egg mixture.
Drain the chanterelles and add them to the egg mixture. Stir in the crabmeat until everything is blended.
Line the sides of the cake pan with the steamed fiddleheads. You can put the rest in the bottom of the pan (to become a decorative top) or save them to use as a garnish.
Gently fill the pan. Set it in a larger pan of hot water and bake until set, about an hour. It is finished then a knife-blade comes out clean.
Very gently slide a knife around the edge to loosen the flan. Remember the fiddleheads are in there!
Invert a serving plate over the cake pan and turn the flan out onto the serving plate.
Garnish with blanched ramps greens and remaining fiddlehead and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

the flan served from its baking pan This could also be prepared in a crust as a quiche, or prepared and served from the pan that it is baked in.