Daniel Patterson's Chive Flan with Caviar

Preheat the oven to 275°. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and cream just until foamy. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Put the 1/2 cup of chopped chives in a blender, turn the machine on and add the milk mixture in a steady stream; blend until smooth. Strain the mixture into a bowl and stir in the salt and pepper.

In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Slowly whisk in the chive cream. Pour the custard into eight 1/2-cup ramekins or custard cups and set them in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Add enough hot water to the dish to reach one-third of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Let the flans cool in the water bather for 10 minutes. Transfer the ramekins to small plates and garnish each flan with a heaping teaspoon of the caviar and a sprinkling of chives.