Equipment
Ingredients
Puddings Base
- 300 g cauliflower, florets only
- 150 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 15 g unsalted butter, softened, for greasing
Custard
- 3 large eggs
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 100 ml whole milk
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Salad and Garnish
- 150 g roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into strips
- 100 g watercress, tough stems trimmed
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 501 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 158 mg
- Potassium
- 430 mg
- Calcium
- 242 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 27 mg
- Phosphorus
- 235 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 625 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 80 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 54 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.44 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 52 mcg
- Water
- 117 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 160 C (320 F). Generously grease the interior of six ramekins with the softened unsalted butter to ensure the puddings will unmold cleanly.
Place the cauliflower florets in a steamer basket over boiling water. Steam for 10 minutes, or until completely tender. Drain thoroughly, pat dry to remove any excess moisture, and chop finely.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, ground nutmeg, kosher salt, and black pepper until completely smooth and amalgamated.
Gently fold the finely chopped cauliflower and crumbled feta cheese into the custard mixture.
Divide the cauliflower and feta custard evenly among the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large roasting pan.
Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the exterior sides of the ramekins. This water bath will protect the delicate eggs from overheating.
Bake in the preheated 160 C (320 F) oven for 35 minutes. The puddings are ready when the edges are firm but the center still has a slight jiggle.
Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven. Take the ramekins out of the water bath and allow them to rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to firm up before unmolding.
While the puddings are resting, prepare the salad by gently tossing the trimmed watercress and sliced roasted red peppers with the extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Run a thin knife tightly around the inside edge of each pudding to loosen it. Invert each one carefully onto individual plates and surround with the fresh red pepper and watercress salad to serve.
Chef's Notes
- Thoroughly drying the cauliflower after steaming is absolutely crucial. Excess moisture will seep into the delicate custard, preventing it from setting properly and dulling the savory flavors.
- The water bath, or bain-marie, gently and evenly cooks the eggs. This technique ensures the outer edges do not boil and turn rubbery before the center has enough time to coagulate.
- For an absolutely foolproof release, line the very bottom of each greased ramekin with a small, custom-cut disc of baking parchment paper.
- Feta adds a significant burst of salinity to the dish. Be cautious with the added kosher salt in the custard base; the 2 grams called for is usually the perfect balance.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store unmolded puddings in an airtight container. Salad should be stored separately.
Troubleshooting
Pudding has a rubbery texture with weeping liquid
Cause: Oven temperature was too high or the water bath was omitted, causing the egg proteins to seize and squeeze out moisture.
Fix: Cannot be fixed, though still edible. Serve in ramekin to hide separated liquid.
Prevention: Always use a bain-marie with boiling water and ensure your oven calibration is accurate.
Pudding tears or sticks when unmolding
Cause: Insufficient buttering of the ramekins or attempting to unmold while too hot.
Fix: Scoop out carefully and serve as a rustic rustic crumble rather than a molded shape.
Prevention: Grease ramekins generously and allow the full 10 minute resting period. Optionally, line the very bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
Custard base is overly watery and fails to set completely
Cause: Cauliflower held too much water after steaming, which then diluted the custard mixture.
Fix: Bake an additional 10 minutes, but texture may remain slightly loose.
Prevention: Drain cauliflower thoroughly and pat completely dry with paper towels before chopping.
Cultural Context
Savory custards and flans have deep roots in European culinary traditions, often served as elegant starters or light vegetable suppers. Evolving from medieval savory egg tarts, modern variations utilize the classic French technique of a bain-marie to achieve a luxurious, silky texture that beautifully suspends robust ingredients like earthy cauliflower and briny feta.
