If you are french, you would call it Crème caramel. If your mother-in-law is Spanish, she would call it a flan. The rest of the world simply calls it a caramel custard. We are great fans of Rafael Nadal in the house. So I am going to call it a flan too. That great Spaniard I say. This is an easy dessert you can put together in no time and everyone will be happy. This would easily be my favorite dessert.
There are a few points that make a good flan. The dish is very delicate to handle. The flan is cooked in a water bath. The key to a good flan is that it should be cooked in a water bath that should not boil at any time. If it boils, then it will cook very quickly, and when it is unmolded, the exterior or the outside of the custard will look like a cake sponge, with tiny holes all over it. The key to a smooth custard without any holes on the outside is to make sure that the water in the water bath does not boil and the flan cooks in moderate heat. Another important thing to note is that, not to mix the eggs too much while mixing. Too much mixing will incorporate air and air is good for cakes. Not for custards. The custard should be smooth. Not rubbery. Here is how I do it.
For the Caramel
Add sugar to a small sauce pan. Add water from the sides. Combine the water and sugar. Gently stir to moisten the sugar thoroughly.
Bring the mixture to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. ( Do not stir at this stage. Stirring will cause the sugar to crystallize)
Continue to cook stirring occasionally until the caramel darkens into a light brown color.
Cook until the color of the caramel becomes amber. Do not leave it for too long as the caramel might burn and turn bitter.
Remove the pan immediately from the heat and pour a portion of the caramel into each of the four 6-ounce ramekins. Do not touch the caramel as it will be super hot and can even burn your hands. Allow the caramel to harden. It will take about 3-4 minutes.
For the Custard
Adjust an oven rack to the middle. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
Zest an orange and add it to the milk. Zest only the skin. The skin has all the essential oils and aroma. Not the pith. Pith is very bitter. Make sure you do not zest the pith. Heat the milk and orange zest in a saucepan over medium heat until it boils. Remove from the heat. Set aside.
In the mean time whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar slowly in a large bowl until just combined.
Add in the milk mixture into the eggs until just combined. Do not keep whisking. You do not want to incorporate air. The mixture should not be extremely foamy. Little foam is OK. Strain the mixture into a large bowl.
Divide and pour the mixture in the ramekins. Arrange the ramekins on a large baking dish. Place the baking dish on the rack of the oven.
Water Bath
Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Pour the boiling water into the baking dish. The water should be half way up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake until a paring knife inserted halfway between the center comes out clean, it can take between 40 – 50 minutes. Transfer the custards to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
To unmold, slide a paring knife around the sides of the ramekin. Hold a serving plate over the top of the ramekin and invert. Shake the ramekin gently to release the custard. Repeat with the remaining ramekins and serve.
A good flan should be delicate, smooth and melt in your mouth.!
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons Sugar
- Zest from an Orange
- Add sugar to a small sauce pan. Add water from the sides. Combine the water and sugar. Gently stir to moisten the sugar thoroughly.
- Bring the mixture to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. ( Do not stir at this stage. Stirring will cause the sugar to crystallize)
- Continue to cook stirring occasionally until the caramel darkens into a light brown color.
- Cook until the color of the caramel becomes amber. Do not leave it for too long as the caramel might burn and turn bitter.
- Remove the pan immediately from the heat and pour a portion of the caramel into each of the four 6-ounce ramekins. Do not touch the caramel as it will be super hot and can even burn your hands. Allow the caramel to harden. It will take about 3-4 minutes.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
- Zest an orange and add it to the milk. Zest only the skin. The skin has all the essential oils and aroma. Not the pith. Pith is very bitter. Make sure you do not zest the pith. Heat the milk and orange zest in a saucepan over medium heat until it boils. Remove from the heat. Set aside.
- In the mean time whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar slowly in a large bowl until just combined.
- Add in the milk mixture into the eggs until just combined. Do not keep whisking. You do not want to incorporate air. The mixture should not be extremely foamy. Little foam is OK. Strain the mixture into a large bowl.
- Divide and pour the mixture in the ramekins. Arrange the ramekins on a large baking dish. Place the baking dish on the rack of the oven.
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Pour the boiling water into the baking dish. The water should be half way up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake until a paring knife inserted halfway between the center comes out clean, it can take between 40 – 50 minutes. Transfer the custards to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- To unmold, slide a paring knife around the sides of the ramekin. Hold a serving plate over the top of the ramekin and invert. Shake the ramekin gently to release the custard. Repeat with the remaining ramekins and serve.