Courgette Flan - from the wonderful Nathalie Hambro's Particular Delights

Called a flan but has no pastry.  As ever, some deviations from the original.  This is a delicious supper or lunch dish, and is nearly as good cold as hot.  Good and original picnic food.  The flavour of the courgettes and tarragon is delicate and I'd either stick to this or do something entirely different.  I am going to try it with lettuce, peas and a smidge of onion soon, for instance.

You will need a dish in which to bake it.  I use a provencal tian; earthenware, glazed inside, sloping sides (which make it easier to get the flan out), about 8" across, which is good for the 4 egg quantity.

For a supper dish for two:

4 eggs

2 medium courgettes

a 1/2 coffeespoon dried thyme, the same of oregano, twice as much tarragon

some fresh chives and parsley, chopped finely. (any mix of herbs is good but the tarragon needs to predominate and I would avoid basil)

2 tablespoons thick cream, or creme fraiche

butter, softened

3 - 4 oz grated cheese.  Pecorino Romano is good.  The original suggests Gruyere which is a little stringier.  Manchego would work.  Not cheddar, I think, nor Parmesan unless mixed with one of the others

salt, pepper, nutmeg, tabasco

Heat the oven to 160C fan.  Put a large pan of water on to boil.  Give the dish a good brushing of butter; I use about 1/4oz.  Grate the cheese finely.  Beat the eggs with the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, as much Tabasco as you think will make a difference without making the dish spicy and the dried herbs.  Top and tail the courgettes and slice them longways with a vegetable peeler into the thinnest of ribbons.  They do not need to be neat.

Once the water is boiling fast, salt it and drop in the courgettes.  Watch it.  As soon as it comes back to the boil, tip the courgettes into a colander and press them a bit to get rid of the water.  If you have time, let them cool a bit. 

Put the courgettes in the bottom of the dish, pour over the egg cream mixture and sprinkle on the fresh herbs.  Arrange the grated cheese as evenly as you can on top.  Into the oven for about 25 minutes.  It will rise slightly and the top should be brown.  I turn the oven onto grill for the last 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and gently loosen all round and underneath with a flexible pallette knife, so that the slices will look neat, and slice into quarters.  Seriously yummy.