Served as main course. Vegetarian dish. Speciality: Low Sodium diet.

French

6 ounces shortcrust Pastry (i.e. made with 6 oz Plain Flour)

1 lb Onions, thinly sliced

2 ounces unsalted Butter

1 Bay Leaf

2 large Eggs

Grated Nutmeg, to taste

150 ml double Cream (heavy)

150 ml Milk

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

Melt the butter in a large lidded frying pan, add the onions and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper; cover the onions closely with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper then put the lid on the frying pan; cook the onions over a low heat for about 30 minutes until they are soft and golden (shake the pan occasionally to make sure they don’t stick). Roll the pastry to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and use it to line an 8-9 inch diameter flan dish. Beat the eggs lightly in a large bowl and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir the cream and milk into the beaten egg mixture. Drain the coked onions in a colander, remove the bay leaf and spread the onions over the pastry case; strain the egg mixture through a sieve over the onions. Bake the flan in the centre of an oven pre-heated to 400ºF / 200ºC / gas mark 6 for 35 – 40 minutes: when cooked the pastry should be golden and the filling set; the filling will sink slightly as the flan cools.

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours

Serves: 4-6

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