Photo courtesy of Peter X Kelly.
Chef Peter X Kelly of Restaurant X and Bully Boy Bar in Congers provides this earthy, upscale dish that every local foodie needs to try.
Spring is officially mushroom season in the Hudson Valley. Whether you’re foraging in the Catskills or hitting up a local grocer, it’s a great time to get creative in the kitchen. Chef Peter X Kelly, who runs X20 Xavier’s on the Hudson in Yonkers and Restaurant X and Bully Boy Bar in Congers, provides a truly inventive recipe for wild mushroom flan.
Wild Mushroom Flan
Makes 10 4-ounce ramekins
Ingredients:
3 cups heavy cream
5 eggs
1 lb assorted mushrooms (Silver Dollars, Morels, Chanterelles, Portobellos, Shiitakes, Enokis, Black Trumpet, and/or Hen of the Woods work great. All of these mushrooms can be interchanged.)
2 Tbsp of butter
2 Tbsp of shallots, finely minced
¼ cup of brandy
1 Tbsp of white truffle oil (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Clean and chop mushrooms.
In a large sauté pan, melt butter. Add shallots and sauté for one minute (until wilted).
Add mushrooms and brandy and ignite. Cook on high heat until mushrooms are cooked through and mixture is fairly dry. Depending on mushrooms that are used, they may expel a lot of water. Cook the mixture until all the juices are reduced and absorbed. Salt and pepper mixture, to taste.
Place mixture in food processor and process until smooth. (It does not have to be fine purée.) Then, set aside.
In a mixing bowl, place the eggs and cream. Beat lightly as for custard, being careful not to overbeat. Add mushroom mixture and truffle oil, if using. Adjust salt and pepper.
Butter 10 4-ounce individual ramekins and fill with mixture. Place ramekins in a Bain Marie (a water bath) so that water comes ¾ of the way up the sides of ramekins.
Place in 325°F oven for approximately 50 minutes until custard is set. Remove from water bath and keep warm. The flans may be served with a small salad as a luncheon or with a sauce of foie gras and truffles.
