Mushroom and Blue Cheese Flan

A light, savory pie with a memorable taste.

Vegetarian. Hands-on time: 15 mins. Total time: 40 mins.

Contributed by Mike Lewis (October 2010).

This delicious summer dish is much lower in fat and calories than the usual rich flan recipes, with their abundance of eggs and cream. It's also easier to make, and it tastes good either hot or cold. You can serve it as part of a light lunch or supper buffet, or with potatoes and vegetables for a more substantial dinner dish. The recipe makes about four servings.

For the crust, use either an 8 oz (250 g) pack of frozen pie dough (shortcrust pastry) which has been thoroughly defrosted, or a ready-made 9-inch (22 cm) uncooked unsweetened pie shell. Alternatively, make an equivalent amount of dough according to your favorite recipe.

Ingredients

• Pie dough or ready-made shell (see above)
• A small pack (approx. ¾ oz, 18 g) of dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 large leeks, trimmed, washed and chopped
• 3 cups (9 oz, 250 g) chestnut mushrooms, chopped
• 4 oz (110 g) of any firm blue cheese (Stilton, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Danish Blue or similar)
• ½ cup (1 oz, 25 g) fresh breadcrumbs

Method

Oven: Pre-heat to 400F (200C)

Roll out the pastry and line an oiled 9-inch (22 cm) pie dish with it (or use a ready-made shell). Bake blind for about ten minutes until it starts to crisp.

Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl, and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for at least ten minutes.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the leeks, and sautée for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the chestnut mushrooms and cook for a further three or four minutes. Then drain the porcini mushrooms and add them to the sautée (you can keep the water that the porcini were soaking in; it makes a flavorsome addition to a soup or stew).

Place the mixture in the pastry case, and spread evenly. Cut the cheese into small cubes, and distribute these in the flan. Finally, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top.

Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the pastry is well cooked and the top is golden.

Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.