Olive oil
Shirako Flan with Dashi and Olive Oil
A silky steamed flan of egg, cream and dashi, topped with lightly poached shirako (cod milt) and finished with plenty of olive oil. The creamy shirako, the umami of the dashi and the fresh aroma of the oil come together in an elegant winter starter.
- Serves
- Serves 4 (4 small cups)
- Time
- About 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Shirako (cod milt), very fresh200 g
- Salt (for cleaning)as needed
Flan mixture
- Eggs2
- Double (heavy) cream100 ml
- Dashi (kombu and katsuobushi stock)100 ml
- Salta pinch
To finish
- Extra virgin olive oil (Picolimón)as needed
- Dill, parsley or similar herbsa little
Method
Prepare the shirako
- Rinse the shirako gently in cold water. Snip away any veins and thin membrane with scissors, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Soak in 3% salted water for about 5 minutes to remove any fishy smell.
- Bring a pan of water to about 80°C — barely trembling, not bubbling. Add the shirako for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the surface turns white. Transfer to cold water, then pat dry.
Make the flan
- Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the cream, dashi and salt, and mix well. Strain through a fine sieve for a smooth texture.
- Pour the mixture gently into the cups and skim off any bubbles with a spoon.
- Place the cups in a steamer that is already full of steam, cover and steam over low heat for about 8 minutes. If using a frying pan, pour in hot water to about one-third of the height of the cups and cover with a lid wrapped in a tea towel, over low heat.
- When the surface has begun to set, place the shirako on top and steam for about 3 more minutes. It is done when a bamboo skewer pushed in brings up clear liquid.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil and add dill or parsley.
Tips
- Shirako is cod milt, a winter delicacy in Japan with a rich, creamy texture. Look for it at Japanese fishmongers or grocery stores in winter. Choose very fresh shirako and cook it on the day you buy it.
- Dashi is a Japanese stock made from kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). Make it fresh, or use good-quality instant dashi.
- Steaming over high heat makes the flan full of small holes. Keep the heat low, or leave the lid slightly open.
- Poaching the shirako first keeps any fishy smell away and gives it a plump texture.
- The dashi adds Japanese umami that suits the mild creaminess of the shirako, and the olive oil at the end makes the whole dish taste lighter and fresher.
A flan built on Japanese ingredients, finished with a generous pour of Spanish olive oil. Chie used Picolimón from El Labrador, which brings out the creaminess of the shirako and gives the dish a refined look — for a special winter dinner with guests.
Chie Ando develops recipes for Medifar, the Japanese importer of El Labrador olive oil. This recipe also appears on Medifar's Instagram.
