Carragheen Bilberry Flan Recipe

Origin: Ireland      Period: Traditional

Ingredients:

For the Pastry:
240g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
120g lard (or lard/margarine mix)
1 egg, separated
cold water, to bind

For the Filling:
450g bilberries
120g brown sugar
7.5g dried carragheen (Irish moss)
720ml milk
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar
200ml whipping cream, whipped

Carragheen Bilberry Flan Preparation:

Method:

Dice the fat then rub into the flour and salt with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the yolk of an egg and mix with a fork to combine then add just enough cold water (add a little at a time) to bring the mixture together as a firm pastry. Turn onto a lightly-floured work surface and roll out until large enough to line the base and sides of an 18cm diameter flan tin.

Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beads (or baking beans) then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and blind bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven then remove the baking beans and parchment paper and set aside to cool.

In the meantime, combine the bilberries and the brown sugar in a saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the fruit then bring to a simmer and cook until the fruit is soft. Remove some of the fruit with a slotted spoon and set aside. Turn the remainder into a fine-meshed sieve set over a large bowl and press down with the back of a spoon to extract all the juice (discard the seeds).

Place the dried carragheen in a bow, cover with water and set aside to steep for 10 minutes. After this time drain and transfer to a saucepan. Cover with the milk, stir in the salt then bring to a boil and cook briskly for 15 minutes. Add the sugar then stir in the bilberry purée, mixing thoroughly. Take off the heat and pour into the prepared pastry case before spreading until smooth with a spatula.

Add the egg white to a clean and dry bowl and whip stiffly with a little caster (superfine) sugar then fold into the whipped cream. Pipe the mixture on top of the flan then decorate with the reserved whole bilberries.

Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving.

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