Cod fillet flan on artichoke cream
- Gluten Free
- Lactose Free
- Energy Kcal 367
- Carbohydrates g 13.8
- of which sugars g 3
- Protein g 30
- Fats g 21.3
- of which saturated fat g 6.47
- Fiber g 4.6
- Cholesterol mg 89
- Sodium mg 930
- Prep time: 20 min
- Cook time: 40 min
- Makes: 6 pieces
PRESENTATION
Flan di merluzzo is one of those starters that really make people take notice—it's both creamy and fresh, with just the right amount of elegance for a Northern Italian dinner. In regions like Lombardy and Veneto, folks love using cod for dishes that feel fancy but come from simple, everyday ingredients. Here, the cod is steamed with a splash of orange zest and a mix of herbs, making it really tender and light. All this goodness gets wrapped in crispy pancetta—which is awesome—adding a little salty crunch that elevates the flavor. And look, what really makes this ricetta flan di merluzzo stand out is how it pairs with a smooth crema di carciofi—a sauce made from seasonal artichokes, ensuring the taste is extra fresh and kind of earthy too. This blend of textures, with the soft flan inside and that golden pancetta on the outside, is what makes Italian antipasti like this feel special.
Everyone loves when this flan di merluzzo shows up as an appetizer at a party or a spring get-together, because it strikes the perfect balance between rustic and fancy. Seriously good. The steamed cod is light, so you don’t feel weighed down before the main course, and the herbs and citrus keep it really zesty without being overwhelming. So, here’s the thing, the artichoke sauce tastes like someone put in a lot of effort, even if the ingredients are pretty straightforward—just artichokes, a bit of olive oil, and some fresh seasonings. For sure. That’s the charm of a good antipasto di pesce from Northern Italy: it lets all the ingredients shine without overcomplicating things. You get a little bit of everything with this sformato di merluzzo—moist fish, crispy pancetta, a smooth sauce—and it all comes together in a way that’s perfect for impressing guests but isn’t too fussy. To be honest, when you’re looking for a piatto gourmet that makes people say “wow” before the meal even starts, this is definitely the way to go.
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for 6 flans
- Cod fillet 1.1 lbs (500 g)
- Potatoes 1 lb (450 g)
- Pancetta tesa 0.8 lb (360 g)
- Parsley 1 tuft
- Thyme 4 sprigs
- Marjoram 4 sprigs
- Egg whites 1
- Orange peel 1
- for the artichoke sauce
- Artichokes 2
- Garlic 1 clove
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
How to prepare Cod fillet flan on artichoke cream
To make cod flans on artichoke cream, start by removing any bones from the cod fillets with kitchen tweezers 1, then cut the fillets into pieces 2. Fill a pot with water for steaming, flavor the water with parsley stems, black peppercorns, and two pieces of orange zest 3.
Julienne the remaining orange zest 4; bring the water to a boil, then place the basket in the steamer, lay the cod, chopped herbs, and add the orange zest 5. Cover with the lid 6 and cook for a maximum of 5 minutes.
Once cooked 7, transfer the fish to the mixer 8 and mince it until you get a cream: if it's too dry, add a little hot water 9; transfer the resulting cream to a bowl.
Separately, beat the egg white until stiff using a mixer with electric whisks 10. Incorporate the egg white into the cod 11 and mix to combine the ingredients. At this point, peel the potatoes, then slice them with a food processor fitted with slicing blades 12:
you should obtain very thin slices 13. Cook the potatoes in boiling water for a few minutes 14, they shouldn't fall apart, drain them 15 and set them aside.
Butter individual molds with a capacity of 1/2 cup 16, line them internally with bacon slices 17 that should hang over the outer edge. Fill with a teaspoon of cod cream 18
continue with a potato slice 19 and proceed until you run out of ingredients, alternating layers for all the pies. Then close with the bacon slices 20 and bake the pies in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 20 minutes (or in a fan oven at 320°F for 15 minutes). Once cooked, remove the pies from the oven and let them cool slightly 21.
While the pies are cooking, prepare the artichoke cream: clean the artichokes, remove the tip and the outer leaves and remove the more fibrous layer of the stem. Thinly slice the artichokes 22 and soak them in a bowl with water and lemon to prevent browning 23. Then drain the artichokes and sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a clove of garlic until soft. Before turning off the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste 24.
Blend the cooked artichokes with an immersion blender 25 until you obtain a cream 26 (you can add a little hot water to dilute it if the cream is too thick). At this point, you can unmold the cod flans onto a serving plate and garnish them with dollops of artichoke cream, made with a pastry bag fitted with a star nozzle 27! You can serve the rest of the artichoke cream as a side.