The modern version of the cheese flan recipe combines many flavors; the original recipe calls for Parmesan cheese only.
This recipe, typical of the tradition of Bologna and Romagna, allows me to tell why Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna and located in the Emilia part of the region, has a heart that is a bit Romagnolo.
A common story
Bologna and Romagna have many recipes in common. But it is not only a question of shared borders; there are even historical reasons.
Friggione, Bolognese stuffed zucchini (also spread in Romagna), crescentine (fried bread which in Bologna and Romagna has the same name but in Modena and Parma is called gnocco or fried pizza), fricandò. Sometimes changes the name but not the recipe. For instance, Latte alla Portoghese of Romagna and Fiordilatte a la bolognese, are the same.
The gastronomic culture of this area of Emilia-Romagna is rich in indications that contain an invitation to look beyond the administrative and political borders that today define territories and provinces.
This is a little bit the story of all of Italy. A recipe often tells of forgotten ties between territories belonging to different Italian regions.
To stay between Bologna and Romagna, think of the towns in the Marche region, especially in the province of Pesaro and the Montefeltro area, which have a Romagnolo culture and dialect.
And what about Romagna-Tuscany?
Small villages in the provinces of Arezzo and Florence where, historically, people speak the Romagnolo dialect and the culture and gastronomic identity of Romagna is still intact (HERE is my travelogue of Romagna-Tuscany).
Or, finally, think of Imola, the city where I was born and bred.
For linguistic, cultural, and culinary traditions, it is Romagna even though it is part of the province of Bologna and of the Emilia region.
Emilia and Romagna
From an administrative and political point of view, the Emilia-Romagna region has only existed since 1970.
The region has united two territories that seem to be not homogeneous.
In actuality, the cities of my region have a long and shared history. Thanks to the presence of the Via Emilia, which dates back to the time of the ancient Romans.
Of course, there are some differences.
But think about Italy, where each village and city tell different stories without compromising the whole.
Aemilia
Since ancient times there has been a geographical area called Aemilia, which included the cities that today are part of Emilia and Romagna.
In the course of the centuries, several dominations followed one another.
I do not want to bore you with a list of names and dates.
The most important thing to know is that the provinces of Emilia alternate between the rule of Italian seigniories and foreign rulers, especially Spanish and French (think of the influence of French culture in Parma).
In Romagna, there are local city seigniories but, differently from Emilia, where the cities are small independent kingdoms, the whole area is part of the possessions of the State of the Church until the birth of the Kingdom of Italy (1861), which unifies the peninsula from north to south.
Long and heavy domination left a trace in the gastronomic culture with the invention of two pasta shapes which Romagnoli, with caustic irony, called Priest-stranglers (in Italian strozzapreti) and tricks for priests (or ingannapreti, a filled pasta without filling).
And Bologna? Contrary to the other Emilian cities, after a succession of city governments in the Middle Ages, like Romagna, it was subject to the power of the Pope.
Among the papal legations of Romagna, there is also the Aemilian Bologna.
Centuries of shared political and administrative history have created more than a bond with the whole Romagna. And not only with that area that borders the city of Bologna.
Cheese flan recipe
It was a rich dish for the ingredients used and, for this reason, it was prepared on the occasion of festivities and only with Parmigiano cheese.
The introduction of other cheeses, besides Parmigiano, is later.
It is a traditional recipe of the Apennines and Bologna.
The flan was served with vegetables on the side, or small meatballs (for those who could afford it) or, more often, chicken liver pâté that, as all giblets, was more affordable.
Maddalena, my paternal grandmother, prepared it using only grated Parmigiano.
My mother-in-law, born and bred in Bologna even though her father was from Rimini, makes it using only grated Emmental, and it is delicious.
Yes, because cheese flan was spread in Bologna even.
I’m using the past tense because people have somewhat lost the memory of this traditional recipe you find on line without identity.
Una ricetta che appartiene a ogni luogo e quindi a nessun luogo.
Che poi è la sorte che tocca a molte ricette.
If you’re not afraid to mix eggs and grated cheeses and make the béchamel sauce, this richly flavored flan with a velvety, sumptuous texture is a must-try.
I offer you my version. I mix Parmesan, pecorino and Emmental.
But you can use just one cheese or, if you want, add even gruyere and make it with four different kinds of cheese.
The innovation ends there.
Procedure and cooking are the traditional ones, as I remember grandma made and as my mother-in-law does too.
Buona cucina, Monica
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Food tips
To make this flan use the mold you prefer: with the hole or rectangular.
It is your choice to serve it with meatballs or vegetables.
If you want to make a Parmigiano flan, remove one egg and put only 100g of cheese. It is more delicate but tasty.
Bologna cheese flan recipe
serves 4-6
List of the Ingredients
Grated Parmesan cheese, 100g
Pecorino cheese (grated), 100g
Grated Emmental, 100g
4 eggs
½ liter milk
butter 100g
flour 00, 100g
a pinch of salt and nutmeg
breadcrumbs and butter for the mould, to taste
Method
Make a thick béchamel sauce.
Melt the butter. Then, on the stove off, incorporate the flour, salt, and nutmeg with a whisk.
Add the milk a little at a time, stirring.
Put the pan on the heat and, stirring, thicken the béchamel.
When the spoon or whisk meets resistance, the béchamel sauce is ready.
Let the sauce cool and add the eggs one at a time, stirring to incorporate before adding the next.
In a bowl, mix the grated cheeses, add to the mixture, and stir.
Grease a mold, and dust the bottom and sides of the mold with breadcrumbs.
Remove excess by tapping the mold and turning it upside down.
Pour the flan and bake in a bain-marie in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour at 180C degrees.
Test with a toothpick. The flan is ready when it comes out dry.
Let cool before turning the cheese flan out onto a serving plate that can go in the oven.
If you cook the flan in advance, reheat it in the oven by covering it with aluminum foil.
Serve the flan warm or at room temperature.
