Gluten-Free Broccoli Flan

An easy-to-make savory pie.

Vegetarian. Hands-on time: 15 mins. Total time: 1 hour 10 mins.

Contributed by Joan Gallagher (December 2008).

As with all gluten-free baking, the secret of this recipe lies in the choice of flour. I use Doves Farm plain white flour blend, which consists of rice flour, potato flour, tapioca, maize meal and buckwheat flour. If you can't find that particular brand, you'll get good result with a mixture of two parts rice flour to one of buckwheat (but check that the buckwheat is in fact gluten-free, as some manufacturers blend it with wheat flour).

This recipe will make a tasty savory flan for two people. Serve it with potatoes and a green salad.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (5 oz., 150 g) gluten-free flour (see above)
• ¼ cup (2 oz, 50 g) butter
• 2½ tbsp. cold water
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 8 - 10 broccoli florets (about 7 oz, 200 g)
• 1½ cups (12 fl oz, 360 ml) light (single) cream or full-fat milk
• 1 cup (2 oz, 50g) hard cheese, finely shredded

Method

Oven: Pre-heat to 350F (180C)

Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the water and mix well to form a dough. Don't worry if it's a little wet; it will dry out while resting.

Put the dough in a food bag and leave it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a floured board. Use it to line an oiled 8-inch (20 cm) pie dish. If the dough breaks up or is difficult to roll, just place it in the dish and press it down with your fingers so that it covers the base and sides. Prick it in several places with a fork.

Bake the dough for ten minutes. Then remove it from oven, brush the insides of the crust with a little beaten egg, and return it to the oven for another five minutes.

While the crust is baking, cook the broccoli. You can either boil it in a little salted water, steam it, or cook it in a microwave oven. Cook it until it just begins to soften.

Place the broccoli in the pastry case. Mix the remaining beaten egg with the cream or milk, then stir in the cheese. Pour the mixture over the broccoli. Bake for a further 35 to 40 minutes, or until the egg mixture is set firm.

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.