Take THAT, Malabar Spinach

Herbed Malabar Spinach Flans Topped with Sweet-n-Spicy Roast Peanuts

Ingredients:

1/3 c. shredded Malabar spinach, well packed

1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves

¼ tsp. fresh thyme

1 garlic clove, pressed

Pinch salt

1 egg

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. whole milk

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. heavy cream

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Handful shelled peanuts

Pinch dried cayenne

Drizzle honey

Salt-n-pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Smash the hell out of the Malabar spinach with a mortar and pestle until its insides bleed out and it is purged of all its un-spinach-like evil. Add the parsley, thyme, garlic, and salt and do it AGAIN, just to make sure its dead. Let sit for about 15-20 minutes at room temperature; partially to let the flavors mingle, and partially to be sure that the spinach has learned its freaking lesson.

Beat the egg, milk, cream, and parm together. Add the spinach goop and beat again. And again. And again.

Grease or spray two individual-serving-sized casserole dishes or oven-safe molds. Pour in mixture and bake 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Wait ten minutes for the flans to cool. Meanwhile, toss the peanuts well with salt, pepper, cayenne, and honey. Stick them in the oven while the flans are cooling. When the flans are cool, remove the peanuts from the oven and carefully overturn the flans onto serving plates. Top with hot peanuts. Shout maniacally, “Bwa-ha-ha, Malabar spinach! You thought you were so tough, didn’t you? Well, look who’s laughing NOW!!”, then serve. Makes two flans (Aww…)

Thanks a million to Citron et Vanille, who reminded me that savory flans exist.

Beat the eggs. Whip the cream. Show no mercy.