Ingredients for four servings

500 g zucchini (350 g pulp plus 150 g skins)
15 g butter
750 g of small mussels
75 g chacolí
25 g shallots
3 Gorrotxategi eggs
100 g cream
salt, pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped chives
100 g asparagus

Preparation

Peel zucchini and reserve the skins. Cook in plenty of boiling water with a pinch of baking soda and salt for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. When cold, strain through a fine sieve. Cut the zucchini pulp into small dices, place in a sauté pan with butter and allow to sweat without getting browned, removing as much moisture as possible. In another saucepan sauté the shallots for a few seconds, add the chacolí, and when it begins to boil, add the mussels. Cook covered over high heat until they open. Once opened, remove from heat and remove the shells of all but ten mussels. Reduce the resulting juice to half (100 to 200 g). Crush the mussels without shells; add the zucchini pulp and skins, eggs and cream. Bring the mixture to a boil, check the salt and pepper and remove from heat. Fill four molds with the mixture.

Finishing and presentation

Bake the flans in a water bath at 280 degrees for 15 minutes. Pierce them with a toothpick, and if it comes out clean, remove them from the oven. Blanch the asparagus 2 minutes in salted water. Reserve the tips and blend the stalks with 3 tablespoons oil. To serve, decorate the flans with reserved mussels, asparagus tips, vinaigrette and sprinkled chives.

My tricks

When buying mussels make sure they are alive, fresh and healthy, packed in perfectly labeled and checked bags. If the shells are open and don’t contract and close to the touch, don’t take the risk of cooking them. ■