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Flan: A cool finish to a spicy meal By Kady Guyton
Flan is one of those desserts that's great any time of the year, but perfect at the end of a warm summer day. Cool and slippery, it is ice cream's slightly fancier sibling. A Mexican cuisine staple, it pairs well with any spicy foods. I like it at the end of an Indian meal. Making flan is not for the faint of heart. It requires a few steps and baking in a water bath. Flan can be made in a 1/2 quart straight-sided souffle dish or in individual cups. I prefer individual sizes; they are easier to handle and serve. However, the drama of decanting a full size flan is a fun party trick. The following recipe comes from the good people at Cook's Illustrated, who did the research, so we don't have to. To begin flan production, one must start from the bottom up: make the caramel. Resist the temptation to buy a jar of caramel sauce, making your own will take less than 10 minutes and the results will be much lighter and smoother than anything purchased. Plus the added bonus of knowing exactly what's in it. There is a school of thought that insists that caramel can be made with no liquid at all. I've never gotten that to work for me and have burned a lot of sugar in the process. The recipe below uses a little water and is much more forgiving. Caramel sauce In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and do not stir. Simmer over medium high heat, occasionally using a pastry brush to brush down the sides of the pan with water. When the syrup turns golden colored, swirl the pan for even cooking. Leave over heat until the syrup is a deep golden brown - about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully pour a little of the syrup into the bottom of a 8 ungreased ramekinsor all of it into the bottom of a souffle dish. Do not let the syrup get on your bare skin, it is above 300 degrees and has the consistency of napalm. While the caramel cools and hardens, move on to the custard. The custard is pretty straightforward and can also be used for creme brulee or as a wash for French toast, if you're feeling truly decadent. The one note of caution is to not let the cream and milk get above 160 degrees. The dairy is being warmed to melt the sugar to insure a smooth custard. Overheating the milk could result in burning and that scorched milk taste can't be hidden by any amount of vanilla. Custard 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees with oven rack in the center. 2. Heat milk and cream to 160 degrees over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, yolks and sugar in a large bowl until just combined. 4. Off heat, add vanilla and salt to milk and whisk milk into egg mixture, until combined but not frothy. 5. Pour equal amounts into ramekins or souffle dish. To Bake: Fold a dish towel to fit in the bottom of a large baking pan or roaster. Arrange ramekins in pan taking care to keep them from touching. Use two pans if needed. Place pan(s) on the oven rack and fill with hot tap water to the halfway point on the ramekins. Do not fill pans and then try place in the oven. The water will slop onto the flan, keeping it from setting up in the oven. Bake until a knife or tester comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool to room temperature. At this point, they can be eaten or covered with plastic wrap, refrigerated and held for up to two days. To serve, slide a paring knife around the edge of the ramekin. Place a serving plate upside down over the top of the ramekin and quickly flip the whole thing over. Lift ramekin straight up, garnish and serve immediately. |
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