Savory tomato flan: From theory to reality.  A recipe from the private collection of molecular gastronomer Hervé This.

"You can never be bored when cooking. If you take a close look, you see incredible changes taking place. A boiled egg in itself is a miracle.”

There is cooking in the chemical labs of the hallowed Collège de France. The reason is not to feed the staff, instead it is to find out how molecules respond to each other when they meet in the cooking pot. This series of experiments has been initiated by the molecular gastronomer and successful author Hervé This. He focuses on the question of how we should cook in future to make food as aromatic and enjoyable as possible. "You can never be bored when cooking. If you take a close look, you see incredible changes taking place. A boiled egg is a miracle in itself,” enthuses Hervé This, during an interview with our author about his profession. An honorary member of "Les Toques Blanches,” the international club of top chefs, he has spent over a decade investigating the chemical and physical principles of cooking. He is convinced that his findings make the perfect basis for ambitious chefs to give full rein to their imagination and creativity. The recipe below features the preparation of an "extreme flan," one that has a light consistency yet delivers intense flavor. bulthaup magazine was given permission to print this recipe from the not yet published private recipe collection of Hervé This.

SAVORY TOMATO FLAN LAVOISIER*
Ingredients for 4 people
2 kg tomatoes
3 to 4 eggs
Salt, pepper
100g rocket
300g black olives
500g white bread
Drop of vinegar
Basil

The theory
First, let's ask ourselves how much water can we add to an egg to make a flan? According to our calculations, the answer is about 1 liter. How should such an "extreme flan” be cooked? To answer this question, we need to refer to the findings of the physics experiments involving the distribution of molecules. And here is the answer. The flan needs to be cooked at high temperatures. The advantage of this recipe is that only a small amount of an egg is used, which prevents the aromatic ingredients from binding with the egg protein. The consistency of the flan is soft, with a more intense flavor.

Reality

Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place them in a pot with four tablespoons of water and a drop of vinegar. Cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes in order to preserve the flavor of the fresh tomatoes. Drain the mixture, reserving the juice and as much flesh of the tomato as you can. To each half liter of juice, add one egg. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour the tomato egg mixture into small, oven-proof molds. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius. The tomato juice will set and thicken. Dry the black olives in the oven at 100 degrees Celsius for several hours and grind into a powder in a food processor or blender. Cut the white bread into thick slices and toast in the oven at 95°C. Serve the tomato flan with rocket, basil, the olive powder and sliced white bread.

*Named after the chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794). Hervé This has written "Révélations Gastronomiques” and "Les Secrets de la Casserole” (both from Edition Berlin, Paris). His latest publication, "La cuisine, c'est de l'amour, de l'art, de la technique" (Cooking is Love, Art and Technology) was co-written with top chef Pierre Gagnaire and published in the spring of 2006 by Odile Jacob, Paris. It is currently only available in French.

SAVORY TOMATO FLAN LAVOISIER*

Ingredients for 4 people

2 kg tomatoes

3 to 4 eggs

Salt, pepper

100g rocket

300g black olives

500g white bread

Drop of vinegar

Basil