A Cheesy One For The Flan Fans

The ridiculous pull of nostalgic food, and a school dinner classic

Why do foods from our childhood have such power over us? You may know that I don’t hate on Norman’s (the Tufnell Park cafe) like some of the internet does. Me, I respect Norman’s for acing what they do. In fact, I admit to being influenced by them, with this here recipe. If you’ve ever eaten a wobbly School Dinner Cheese Flan, I hope this week’s newsletter will speak to you. I’ve tested it in both the air fryer and the oven, and both ways work a treat.

Nostalgia in food is a funny thing. Seeing, smelling and tasting foods of your past is undeniably powerful. Almost like time travel. But there is also something profoundly corny about nostalgia in this context. Something that poet Billy Collins touches on with panache in his poem “nostalgia” when he jokes…

Remember the 1340s? ….
Everyone would pause for beer and onions in the afternoon,
and at night we would play a game called “Find the Cow.”

This is funny to me because it touches on something that is so ridiculously true: we love to romanticise times (and food) that were objectively not better. The absurd pull of the nostalgic is something that Dan Hancox (co-host of one of my favourite podcasts Cursed Objects) delves deep into in his great article Who Remembers Proper Binmen?.

“The vitality of the nostalgia industrial complex is a reminder of just how appealing it is to have your private reminiscences, buried memories and hazy childhood images validated by others – whatever your age. It is a source of comfort to know you are not mistaken, that your version of your life’s story is shared.”

Which brings us on to school dinner foods.

Cheese flan, caramel tart, mashed potato from an ice cream scoop and smiley faces - none of these foods is objectively exciting. Most of it is really bad for you. And yet these foods, or whatever foods you grew up eating, have a weird chokehold over us… A bowl of chocolate cake and custard, a Frube, or a cupcake with a Dennis the Menace wafer sticker as decoration will forever be alluring to me. It’s a pull that feels particularly comforting at a time when our living standards are plummeting and our climate warms with each passing day. Which isn’t to say that in the 90s things were “so much better”. I was 7, how the heck would I have known?

I sure as hell wouldn’t sign up to diving headfirst back into Blairism and having to live through Trinny and Susannah again. But foods we know and feel safe with offer a warm bubble to retreat back into. Is that why I always cook myself egg, chips and peas when I’m home alone? Does my brain, lead by my stomach, want to go back from whence I came, all the way to the womb? And if yes - is that so wrong?

Anyway, this Cheese Flan offers a warm wobble of comfort for me. I’m not ashamed of it. I’ve always loved flan, and I like referring to it as ‘el flan’ whether I’m in Spain or not. So shoot me. El flan is great in sweet and savoury formats. To my mind it is the best and most pure version of a custard. I’ve made the sweet, condensed milk version of flan before and highly enjoyed it, so when Norman’s little cheese flan number came up on my ‘newsfeed’ a whole year ago bringing with it all the pathetic pangs of primary school, I was prompted into action.

Sometimes food is about taking you somewhere new, but sometimes you just need something to coddle you. There’s no shame in that.

I had fun dabbling with el flan for this recipe, and I think I shall dive deeper into flan adventures in months to come.

I made the cheese flan both in the air fryer (170°c, 40 minutes), and in the oven (170°c, 40 minutes). There is no difference in timings. I also cooked it in two shaped tins, an enamel pie dish (20cm x 15cm) and a square cake tin (13 x 13cm) which fits in my air fryer. You can bake the flan in any similar sized vessel, just go for something which is at least 7cm deep to give you a nice tall flan, and square - if you want that school dinner look.

I tested the recipe with both shop-bought shortcrust and homemade pastry, so choose whichever your heart desires. I also made it with both fresh and evaporated milk. Both rocked, so my advice is… Use evap if you want a slightly sweeter, smoother and even more School Dinner-esque result. For a cheesier, more savoury flavour, use fresh milk.

School Dinner Cheese Flan

1 tsp unsalted butter (optional), for greasing
3 eggs
170ml whole milk, or 1 small can of evaporated milk
180g Cheddar, grated
Black pepper, to taste
1 sheet of shortcrust pastry
OR if you want to, make the below

For the pastry (optional)
170g plain flour
115g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 small egg, beaten
20ml milk
1 tsp white wine vinegar

You will need a square tin (but you could use a round one if you don’t have one)

1. If you’re making the pastry yourself, put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub in the cubed butter between your thumbs and forefingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in most of the egg (put the rest in the flan mix), the milk, and vinegar using a sharp knife. Using your hands, work the mixture until it comes together to form a dough – it should be soft but not sticky. Shape into a ball on a flour-dusted work surface, flatten into a disc and cover in cling film. Chill well for at least 30 minutes.

2. Grease your tart tin or dish and line the base and sides with the shortcrust pastry. With a fork, prick the bottom, and cover with parchment and baking beans. Blind bake (in the air fryer or oven) at 180°c for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, blend together the eggs and milk/evap in a bullet blender (this makes it really smooth - if you don’t have one, you can use a hand blender or whisk in a large bowl). Stir in the grated cheese and season the mix with salt and pepper, then blend again until smooth.

   

4. Remove the tart from the oven/air fryer and remove the baking beans, then return for 2 minutes more until the pastry feels sandy to the touch and is lightly golden. Remove the tart tin, then pour the cheese and egg mixture over the top.

5. Bake for 35-45 minutes in the air fryer or the oven at 170°c, or until the top is properly browned to your liking, and the flan is just set (test with your finger). You may need to cover it with foil if it is browning too quickly in the air fryer. I personally think a very brown top is the way to go. Carefully remove and allow the flan to cool for 5 minutes. It will smell incredible.

6. Serve warm sprinkled with a little salt, alongside chips and beans, or a crisp green salad.

See you next month!