Flan

Method14 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Put only the one hundred grams caramel sugar in a dry frying pan without fat. Melt it over medium heat, gently swirling the pan rather than stirring with a spoon.

   Uses 100 g sugar for caramel

2. 2

   Step 2: Keep swirling until the actual caramel sugar is fully melted and amber coloured, taking care not to burn it.

   Uses All actual melting caramel

3. 3

   Step 3: Immediately divide the hot caramel across the bottoms of four heatproof flan containers large enough to hold the whole custard mixture comfortably. Work promptly because the caramel hardens quickly; avoid touching or splashing the hot sugar.

   Uses All the actual melted caramel

4. 4

   Step 4: Set the four caramel-lined containers upright in an outer casserole that fits all of them securely, leaving room around them for the water bath.

   Uses All four actual lined containers

5. 5

   Step 5: Heat the oven to 150°C and have the middle oven rack ready for the filled water-bath casserole.

6. 6

   Step 6: Split the vanilla pod (1) lengthways and scrape out its seeds, keeping both the scraped pod and seeds ready to infuse the milk.

   Uses 1 vanilla pod

7. 7

   Step 7: Gently heat all three hundred and fifty grams milk (350g) with only the separate forty-five grams custard sugar (45 g) and the actual vanilla pod and seeds. Stir until the sugar dissolves and let the vanilla infuse for a few minutes without boiling the milk.

   Uses 350g Milk · 45 g sugar for custard · All the actual vanilla pod and seeds

8. 8

   Step 8: Remove and discard the actual vanilla pod from the warm milk, leaving its seeds in the mixture. In a separate bowl gently stir all four egg yolks and both whole eggs (2) together by hand, avoiding incorporating air. Keep the true warm infused milk and true gently mixed eggs separately ready to combine.

   Uses The complete actual warm milk mixture · 4 Egg Yolks · 2 Egg

9. 9

   Step 9: Slowly pour the actual warm milk mixture into the actual egg mixture, stirring gently to combine without aerating it. Divide all this actual custard evenly among the four prepared caramel-lined containers, keeping their rims clear.

   Uses All actual warm milk and the complete separate egg mixture · All four actual lined containers

10. 10

    Step 10: Boil the separate bath water and carefully pour it around the filled flan containers in the outer casserole, bringing the bath up their sides while keeping it below the rims. Do not splash any water into the custards.

    Uses All four actual filled containers · Enough boiling water for the outer casserole, kept below the flan container rims

11. 11

    Step 11: Carefully place the actual water-bath casserole on the middle rack. Bake at 150°C for about thirty-five to forty minutes until the custards are set and a toothpick inserted in a centre comes out clean. Check the egg custard reaches at least 71°C / 160°F, continuing the gentle bake if needed.

    Bake water-bath flans until set · 40 minUses The complete actual filled water-bath casserole

12. 12

    Step 12: Carefully take the baked water-bath casserole out of the oven and put it on a heatproof surface, keeping the four custards upright for cooling.

    Uses All four actual baked custards and bath

13. 13

    Step 13: Let the baked flans cool in their containers for one hour. Lift the containers from the bath if still in it, then put all four flans in the refrigerator and chill overnight.

    Cool baked flans before overnight refrigeration · 60 minUses All four actual baked flans

14. 14

    Step 14: The next day gently loosen the rim of each actual chilled flan and invert onto a serving plate, allowing its caramel to run over the custard. Serve the four flans with dulce de leche on the side to taste.

    Uses All four actual fully chilled flans · Dulce de leche for serving, to taste