Butternut Squash Flan With Parmesan Sage Sauce

Serves: 4

Presley Zulauf

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

48

Spice

46

Sweetness

48

Sourness

41

mins

Prep time (avg)

4.5

Difficulty

Ingredients:

2 cups

Half-And-Half

Directions:

1

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F

2

Roast squash, cut sides down, in a lightly oiled shallow baking pan until neck is tender, about 1 hour

3

Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325°F

4

Cool squash to warm

5

Butter an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan

6

Line bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper and butter paper

7

Scoop flesh from squash, discarding skin, and purée in a food processor until smooth, about 45 seconds

8

Put 2 cups purée in a bowl, then whisk in whole eggs, 1 cup half-and-half, 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until combined

9

Pour squash mixture into cake pan and bake in a water bath until just set and a wooden pick or skewer comes out almost clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour

10

Remove from water bath and cool flan in pan on a rack 15 minutes

11

Invert a flat plate over flan, then invert flan onto plate and carefully remove parchment

12

Meanwhile, bring whole sage leaves and remaining cup half-and-half just to a simmer in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 10 minutes

13

Remove sage, carefully squeezing leaves to extract liquid, and discard leaves

14

Whisk yolks into half-and-half and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sauce is thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer, about 4 minutes (do not let boil)

15

Immediately pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then add remaining 1/2 cup cheese and chopped sage, stirring until cheese is melted

16

Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper

17

Cut flan into wedges with a thin knife, wiping knife clean after each slice

18

Serve flan with sauce

19

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F

20

Roast squash, cut sides down, in a lightly oiled shallow baking pan until neck is tender, about 1 hour

21

Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325°F

22

Cool squash to warm

23

Butter an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan

24

Line bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper and butter paper

25

Scoop flesh from squash, discarding skin, and purée in a food processor until smooth, about 45 seconds

26

Put 2 cups purée in a bowl, then whisk in whole eggs, 1 cup half-and-half, 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until combined

27

Pour squash mixture into cake pan and bake in a water bath until just set and a wooden pick or skewer comes out almost clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour

28

Remove from water bath and cool flan in pan on a rack 15 minutes

29

Invert a flat plate over flan, then invert flan onto plate and carefully remove parchment

30

Meanwhile, bring whole sage leaves and remaining cup half-and-half just to a simmer in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 10 minutes

31

Remove sage, carefully squeezing leaves to extract liquid, and discard leaves

32

Whisk yolks into half-and-half and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sauce is thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer, about 4 minutes (do not let boil)

33

Immediately pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then add remaining 1/2 cup cheese and chopped sage, stirring until cheese is melted

34

Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper

35

Cut flan into wedges with a thin knife, wiping knife clean after each slice

36

Serve flan with sauce