Flan
The feeling of the perfect mix of eggs, cream, and sugar alone hits your tongue: it’s slightly gelatinous, but not bouncy, and spreadable, but not like butter. The refreshing yet decadent caramel sauce refreshes your pallet as it cuts through the fat of the cream and egg yolks.
Of course, it’s flan, or créme caramel, or crema caramella, depending on where you are. A classic dessert as old as the Romans, it has become one of the most popular desserts in France, Portugal, Spain, and most notably, Latin America. Whether it’s in the variation of pudim abade de priscos with 15 egg yolks and bacon in Porto, flan de coco with coconut and condensed milks in Santo Domingo, or served with dulce de leche in Buenos Aires, flan has become ubiquitous with Latin American desserts.
Like all simple dishes, flan is easy to learn, but difficult to perfect. So much lies in the exact measurement of each ingredient. No two attempts will yield the exact same flan. But, with practice and experience, you can definitely master this dessert.
The actual recipe:
9 large eggs
2 cups milk (1 or 2%)
1 and ¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. To make the custard, crack the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk well, then add the milk, cream, ¾ cup brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk the whole mixture together well until the sugar dissolves completely.
In a medium saucepan (non-stick, preferably), add the rest of the brown sugar and all the white sugar and place on medium heat. With a silicone spatula, stir periodically as the sugar melts to prevent it from burning. Towards the end, baste the remaining unmelted sugar by leaning the pan slightly and constantly pushing molten sugar with the spatula.
When all the sugar has melted, pour all of it into an 8” circular baking dish. Tilt the pan such that the entire bottom is covered in caramel. Then, pour the custard into the bowl. Place the baking dish into a roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan until it is halfway up the dish. Place in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and a toothpick can be stabbed and removed cleanly.
Remove the flan, and let it rest for about half an hour, then place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or until serving time.
To serve, place a large serving plate over the baking dish, then flip the dish and remove it to leave the flan on the plate. Cut the flan like a cake and serve with generous amounts of sauce.