TUNA AND SPINACH FLAN

The unusual cornbread base for this creamy, nutritious tart, is made with cornmeal, which is available in health food shops and larger Shoprite Fresh Marketplace supermarkets
TUNA AND SPINACH FLAN
INGREDIENTS: METHOD:
  • 1 large lemon,scrubbed and thinly sliced.
  • 3 eggs.
  • 225ml (8 fl.oz.) milk.
  • 400g (14 oz.) canned tuna, in oil, drained and flaked.
  • 80g (3 oz.) country stuffing mix.
  • 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped.
  • 275g (10 oz.) canned cream of chicken, mushroom, or celery soup.
  • 450g ( 1 lb.) chopped spinach.
  • 115g ( 4 oz.) cornmeal.
  • 60g (2 oz.) plain flour.
  • ½ teaspoon salt.
  • 1 ½ level teaspoons baking powder.
  • 85g ( 3 oz.) melted butter.
  • Mustard,cress and sprigs of thyme to garnish.
  • Preheat the oven to 200° C ( 400° F,Gas 6)
  • Grease an expanding 25cm (10 " ) cake tin and line the bottom with a circle of non-stick baking paper.
  • Arrange the lemon slices on the paper.
  • Whisk two of the eggs with 115ml (4 fl.oz.) of the milk in a large bowl, then stir in the tuna,stuffing mix, onion and soup.
  • Carefully spoon the tuna mixture over the lemon slices in the cake tin, then cover with the chopped spinach.
  • Spread the spinach evenly to the sides of the tin, then spoon the remaining tuna mixture over the top.
  • Sift the cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
  • Add the remaining egg and milk, pour in the melted butter and beat together thoroughly.
  • Spread the batter evenly over the tuna mixture and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm in the centre.
  • Loosen the edges of the flan with a palette knife. Put a large ,flat plate on top of the tin and carefully turn both the tin and the plate upside down.
  • Lift of the tin and remove the baking paper, then garnish the flan with the mustard cress and sprigs of thyme.
  • Serve with a green salad.

A soft but substantial cornbread crust forms the base of this decorative summer flan, in which a succulent strip of spinach is sandwiched between layers of filling tuna and egg.