Blue Cheese Flans with Baby Spinach & Scallion Salad Recipe

A simple sprinkling of crumbled blue cheese provides a tempting garnish to a salad, but when that same cheese is baked into a savory flan and paired with tender greens, it elevates this course to new heights. For the delectable flans featured here, a robust variety of blue cheese is mixed with butter and cream cheese, combined with eggs and creme fraiche, then baked and unmolded.

Silken smooth and creamy, these Blue Cheese Flans are served warm along side mounds of baby spinach and sliced scallions, all napped in a bracing vinaigrette. A garnish of toasted almonds offers a crunchy accent.

These individual salads would make a special first course to begin an Easter menu this year. The flans take only minutes to prep, and can be baked a day ahead and quickly reheated. The vinaigrette can be made in advance and the greens readied so that only a quick assembly is necessary at serving time. Follow these glorious salads with such traditional Easter favorites as baked ham or roast lamb.

Blue Cheese Flans with a Baby Spinach & Scallion Salad

    Prep Time: 30 minutes

    Cook time: 50 minutes

    Yield: Serves 6

Blue Cheese Flans with a Baby Spinach & Scallion Salad Ingredients

    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing ramekins

    1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) blue cheese at room temperature (Bleu d'Auvergne or Stilton work well.)

    4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

    4 large eggs

    1/2 cup creme fraiche (available at most groceries)

    6 flat leaf parsley leaves for garnish

    Salad:

    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

    1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

    1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and several grinds of pepper

    3 tablespoons olive oil

    6 cups baby spinach, cleaned

    1/3 cup sliced scallions (including 2 inches of green stems)

    1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds (see note)

Blue Cheese Flans with a Baby Spinach & Scallion Salad Directions

    Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 350 F. Butter six 1/2-cup ramekins. Cut 6 rounds of parchment paper to fit bottom of each and butter paper.

    With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, blue cheese and cream cheese until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs and creme fraiche, until blended, and add to cheese mixture. Beat on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide mixture evenly among prepared dishes and place them in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Fill pan halfway with hot water.

    Bake flans until a sharp knife inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove ramekins from pan. (Flans can be baked 1 day ahead; cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Reheat, uncovered, on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven, 10 to 15 minutes.)

    Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small nonreactive bowl. Whisk in olive oil. (Dressing can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Whisk well before using.)

    To assemble salads, run a sharp knife around inside edge of each flan to loosen, then invert flans and remove and discard parchment papers. Place a flan on each of 6 salad plates and top with a parsley leaf. Toss spinach and scallions with enough dressing to coat lightly, then season with extra salt and pepper. Garnish each flan with a mound of salad and sprinkle with almonds.

Note: To toast, arrange almonds on rimmed baking sheet; bake in preheated 350-degree oven until lightly browned and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove and cool.

 

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Blue Cheese Flans with Baby Spinach & Scallion Salad Recipe

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