Today, we're looking at another dessert that's very popular in Spain, but which in the English-speaking world is often known by its French name. Whether you call it flan con caramelo or crème caramel, however, it's a dessert that's easy to make but impressive. It's a great option if you've got guests over because you can prepare it well ahead of time and leave it sitting in the fridge until you need it. Oh, and it's gluten free.
Today's recipe for flan is brought to us by chef Romain Fornell of Barcelona's restaurant Caelis.
Ingredients (to serve 3):
- milk - 500g / 17.5oz
- sugar - 125g / 4.5oz
- vanilla - 1 pod
- egg yolks - 4
- eggs - 2
- caramel to taste
To be clear, that's two full eggs, then four extra yolks. You could use the spare whites to make something like our meringue bites or macarons. If you don't have a vanilla pod, you could use a splash of vanilla essence. You'll obviously lose the flecks of black through the finished dish, but it shouldn't affect the custard as it sets.
As a rough guideline for the "caramel to taste", you'll probably want another 125g of sugar, which you'll dissolve in a saucepan about a third as much water by volume. Then heat it until it bubbles - don't stir it, but you can swirl it occasionally if you must. Let it boil until it goes a rich golden brown (see video above), then remove it from the heat.
Recipe:
- Spoon your caramel to ramekins, one per person, and swirl it around to cover the base and part-way up the sides
- Leave the ramekins to one side to cool
- Pour the eggs, yolks and sugar into a large bowl
- Cut the pod in two, scrape out the seeds, and add the seeds and pods to the bowl
- Whisk together the mixture to a homogeneous whole
- Add and whisk in the milk
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC / 360ºF and put a kettle to boil
- Pour your custard mixture onto the cooled caramel in the ramekins, taking care not to fill them all the way to the top
- Place a baking dish on a shelf in the oven
- Place your ramekins into the baking dish
- Pour the boiled water into the dish, taking care to avoid splashing any into the custard
- Bake for 12 minutes
- Leave to cool
- Turn the flans out to serve