Zucchini Flan with Lemon Cream Sauce

Zucchini Flan with Lemon Cream Sauce

SERVES 4

This creamy zucchini custard is really a cinch to make. The only trick is to extract as much liquid from the cooked zucchini as possible so it doesn’t water down the cream-and-egg mixture and keep it from setting. A firm squeeze in your fist does this nicely.

A smooth, egg yolk thickened lemon sauce serves as a tart counterpoint (and effective concealer of any flaws), but you can serve the flans plain if you'd like, or with a lemon-dressed salad of tender watercress.

• Softened butter, for the ramekins
• 1 pound (455 g) zucchini (about 2 medium), chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus whole leaves for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to (175°C). Generously butter 4 ramekins or custard cups and put them in a deep baking pan.
2. In a saucepan, combine the zucchini and 1 cup (240 ml) water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is very tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until cool. Transfer to a double thickness of cheesecloth or good-quality paper towels and squeeze hard over the sink to remove as much water as possible (do this in two batches if necessary).
3. In a food processor or blender, combine the zucchini, chopped basil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and a couple of grindings of pepper. Puree until smooth. Separate 1 egg and set the yolk aside in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the egg white, remaining 3 whole eggs, and ¼ cup (60 ml) of the cream to the zucchini in the food processor. Blend the zucchini mixture until smooth, then divide evenly among the ramekins. Pour boiling water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake until the custard is firm in the center (it should feel the same in the center as it does at the edge, not softer), 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how deep the custard is in the ramekins.
4. Meanwhile, put 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Add the lemon juice to the egg yolk and set the bowl over the simmering water; whisk constantly for 1 minute. Add the remaining cream and a good pinch of salt and continue whisking until the sauce thickens to the consistency of melted ice cream, 6 to 8 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed. If there are little lumps of cooked yolk in the sauce, strain it through a sieve into a glass measuring cup with a spout; you'll have about â…“ cup (80 ml) sauce. Set the measuring cup in the pan of hot water to keep warm until ready to serve.
5. To unmold the flans, run a knife around the edges of the flans while they are still warm. Put an individual serving plate face down on top of each ramekin, hold them together firmly, and turn them over together; shake the ramekin to unmold the flan. If part of the flan stays in the ramekin, just gently scrape it out and fit it into place. (You can also certainly serve the flans in the ramekins.) Pour a little sauce over each serving, garnish with basil leaves, and serve warm.