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Flan, also known as crème caramel, is a popular dessert
in many parts of the world, including Europe, the Caribbean,
the Americas, and the Philippines. A baked custard, its essential
ingredients are eggs, milk, and sugar. As a custard bakes,
the egg proteins form a network that traps liquid, creating
a gel. Recipes for this smooth, creamy treat abound, and for
good reason: It’s happy to accommodate substitutions,
changes in proportions, and the addition of flavorings, offering
many opportunities for experimenting. What’s
a gel?
Recipe
Conversions
(Note:
Recipe annotations will appear in a new window.)
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| What
Do I Need? |
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| For
the caramel syrup |
 Did
You Know?
The origins of flan can be traced to early Roman times.
The invention of baked custard—containing eggs, milk, and
honey—is attributed to Marcus Apicius, a cookbook writer
from about the first century. (Translations of his work are
still available today.) |
| • 3/4
cup sugar |
| • 2
to 3 tablespoons water |
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| For
the custard |
| • 2
cups whole milk |
| • 1
cup half-and-half |
| • 2
vanilla beans |
| • 1
teaspoon vanilla extract |
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| • 5
large eggs |
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| •
1/3 cup sugar |
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| • 1-quart
saucepan |
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| • a
soufflé dish with 3-inch sides or 6 small ramekins |
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| • 2-quart
saucepan with cover |
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| • a
wire whisk |
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| • a
sieve |
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| • 2
mixing bowls |
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| • a
paring knife |
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| • a
baking pan with 2-inch sides (for water bath) |
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| • a
large serving plate or 6 small serving plates |
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| What
Do I Do? |
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| For
the caramel syrup |
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1.
Have your soufflé dish or ramekins at hand. Put the sugar in the 1-quart saucepan and stir in enough water to moisten all the sugar. Stir gently over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then bring to a rapid boil. Heat without stirring but occasionally swirling the pan until you see a rich golden color.
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The reason not to stir the mixture once it is boiling? Stirring will cause the sugar to form crystals, which will create a grainy texture.
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2.
Quickly pour the caramel syrup into the soufflé dish or ramekins, tilting the dish to cover it evenly.
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| For
the custard |
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1.
Preheat
the oven to 325° F.
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| 2.
Put
the milk and half-and-half into the 2-quart saucepan, add the
vanilla beans, and heat to a boil. Cover and remove from heat;
leave for 5 minutes. |
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| 3.
Put
the eggs in a mixing bowl and gradually blend in the sugar,
stirring with the whisk until the sugar dissolves. Don’t
incorporate air into the mixture. |
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4.
Remove
the vanilla beans from the milk/cream mixture, and slowly pour
the milk into the eggs while stirring gently with the whisk.
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 Tip
Vanilla beans can be reused, although, without the seeds, the
flavor will be less intense. Just wash and dry them, then store
them in a glass jar. |
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5.
Put
the sieve over the second mixing bowl and strain the milk/egg
mixture through it.
•
Why
do I need to strain the milk/egg mixture?
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| 6.
Wipe
any milk off the vanilla beans and slit them lengthwise. Use
the tip of the knife to scrape out the black seeds from the
beans. Add the seeds to the custard mixture along with the vanilla
extract. |
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| 7.
Pour
the custard into the soufflé dish or ramekins. |
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8.
Place
your dish or dishes in the baking pan and put the pan in the
oven. Add hot water (not boiling; just hot tap water) until
it reaches about halfway up the sides of your dish or dishes.
Bake for about 35 minutes if you’re using ramekins; about
50 minutes if you’re using a soufflé dish. Check
the water bath from time to time to make sure it isn’t
boiling; add ice cubes if necessary.
•
Why
do I need a water bath?
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| 9.
Your
flan should be done when it’s lightly colored and firm
to the touch but not solid. To double check, stick the blade
of your knife in the center of the flan and halfway down; the
blade should come out clean. Carefully remove the baking pan
from the oven, then remove the flan from the water bath. Let
the flan cool to room temperature, then chill, covered, in the
refrigerator for at least 4 hours. |
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| 10.
To
remove your flan, run your knife between the side of the custard
and its container. Put a serving plate on top of the dish and
quickly invert the two. Then lift the dish straight up. |
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| What
Else Can I Try? |
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- Is
whole milk plus half-and-half too rich for you? Not what
you happen to have in your fridge? You can experiment with
any milk products. Some recipes, for instance, call for
condensed milk, including the sweetened or flavored varieties.
- The
seeds from vanilla beans provide a visual addition to your
flan, as well as adding flavor. But vanilla beans are expensive!
You might want to use them only for very special events,
increasing the amount of vanilla extract for more ordinary
occasions. You might experiment with other favorite flavors,
too, such as coconut and lime. You can also flavor the caramel
syrup with a tablespoon or so of cognac or various liquors.
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Why
does adding fruit change the cooking time?
- The
yolks of the eggs contribute to both the smoothness and
the stability of a flan, and many recipes call for the addition
of extra yolks. If you’re not afraid of the extra fat
and cholesterol, and if you happen to have egg yolks left
over from, say, making Pavlova,
you might want to experiment with adding extra yolks to
your flan.
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