Lancashire, Potato and Tomato Flan
(What's so good 'bout) cheese, potato and tomato?
Today’s recipe is a twist on an old school Cheese Flan (a recipe I tackled here). We add Jersey Royal potatoes and ripe summer tomatoes, which give us a more substantial end result, and pair so well with the star-ingredient: Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese. This recipe is part of my series of British Territorial Cheese recipes – in support of Neal’s Yard Dairy’s EAT THEM OR LOSE THEM campaign. These traditional cheeses are under threat of extinction, with only a tiny number of small-scale producers left still making the recipes in the traditional way. Buying a piece to cook with will help to keep them alive.
As flavour duos go, cheese and tomato is one of the most addictive, a fact I talk more about in this newsletter from a few years ago. When that cheese is Kirkham’s Lancashire, and the tomatoes are heavy and ripe, the combination is even headier.
Lancashire cheese and potatoes are also very happy together, with the cheese’s natural butteriness and high fat content enhancing the potatoes beautifully. I like the way Lancashire melts: its curdy ooziness kind of travels around and about the place, rather than melting in one large globule as French and Swiss cheeses such as Raclette, Emmental or Reblochon might. I can’t tell you the science behind it but I know I like it. Give me the Ribble Valley over the Alps any day.
If you can’t get Jersey Royal potatoes where you are, use whatever young, yellow-fleshed potato you can find. Kipfler would be a good alternative in Australia (also known as Fingerling if you’re in the US). A 20cm cake tin yields a nice deep flan (I personally feel a flan should be deep). But if you prefer a shorter, wider end result, use a 23cm tin – you may want to reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.
Lancashire, Potato and Tomato Flan
100g Jersey Royals/Kipfler potatoes (about 3)
2 small-medium ripe tomatoes
1 tsp unsalted butter (optional), for greasing
3 eggs
170ml whole milk, or 1 small can of evaporated milk
180g Kirkham's Lancashire
Black pepper, to taste
1 sheet of shortcrust pastry OR
For the pastry (optional)
170g plain flour
115g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 small egg, beaten
20ml milk
1 tsp white wine vinegar
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 it into a disc and cover in cling film. Chill well for at least 30 minutes.
Switch the oven on to 180°c. Slice the jersey royals into half centimetre slices . Season with salt and pepper and drizzle a little oil on the potatoes then roast them for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes to a similar width, and grate your Lancashire cheese. Make the custard by whisking together the eggs with the milk and then stir in the grated cheese and season the mix with salt and pepper.
Grease a tart or cake tin and line the base and sides with the shortcrust pastry. With a fork, prick the bottom, and cover with greaseproof paper and baking beans. Blind bake the pastry in the oven at 180°c for 10 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and remove the baking beans, then return for 2 more minutes until the pastry feels sandy to the touch and is lightly golden.
Remove the tart tin. Layer the cooked potatoes on top of the baked pastry then then pour the cheesy custard mix over the top and finish with the slices of tomato.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until the flan has browned and only has the slightest wobble. Carefully remove and allow the flan to cool for 5 minutes. It should smell incredible. Enjoy with a crunchy salad.
1 year ago… Courgette and Ricotta Spaghetti
2 years ago… Hot Calamari Sandwiches and Salmorejo
3 years ago… Grecian Lamb Leg Steaks, Lemony Potatoes and Tzatziki
