A Plan for a Flan

Photo © Rob Jones

I think one of the joys of canny shopping as I call it - where you basically buy whatever is cheap on the day and make something fabulous of it - is the anticipation, experimentation and satisfaction it brings about.

Anticipation as I stare at the tub of aging apricots - bought for 14p. What shall I make with them? They missed the batch of stewed fruit I recently made up by the skin of their teeth. And to be honest I think apricots deserve better. I’d eat the whole lot as they are if I had the chance. I adore them. But no ... let’s think of something really tasty and Autumnally sharable.

The experimentation comes in by having to use whatever is in the cupboard to complete the recipe. It would be counterproductive to get a nearly free punnet of apricots only to spend a tenner on ingredients to go along with it. So, let’s suppose we make a flan (case was 25p, another bargain.)

I selected some flaked almonds and crystalized ginger from the store cupboard and - ah ha … a trick I picked up from Rick Stein (he of fish fame) to use a cheap jar of apricot or lemon jam, adulterated with some honey to make the glaze.

Toasted the nuts, thinly sliced ginger and apricot halves in a frying pan, before adding the jam - which un-jams pretty quickly. Stirred in a little dark honey, as if its sweetness wasn’t actually enough.

Fished out the apricots before they lost too much shape, and laid them on the flan bed, which had been sprinkled with some more flaked almonds.

Then spooned over the glaze, filling in between the gaps. More almond flakes.

Popped it into the oven for 20 mins or so to stiffen up the flan casing and toast the almonds, which seems to happen at roughly the same time. Keep an eye on it.

Allow to cool and set slightly before serving with Creme Fraiche.

Totting up the cost … not more than a pound I think.

Shared and ate.

Satisfaction

R