Fran is pure nostalgia for me. My Tex-Mex mother used to make it for me. I used a mixer to mix all the milk and eggs, then struggled to mix the caramel, squealing when it came out of the mold and cracked in the center. Kid Me didn’t care about Fran’s beauty, she just wanted to taste the custard on her tongue. For my birthday, I put a candle in it and watched it flicker. Wash it down with about 14 Dr. Peppers. He had a sophisticated palate.
Recently, I’ve been spending my holidays with my sister. I always make flan for Christmas dessert. Because it’s very light and airy after a heavy meal. After my mother passed away, we searched for her recipes but found only fragments. (A lesson in grief — you’re always trying to fill in the blanks. You might not be able to, but you’ll probably try.)
Thankfully, I finally found a recipe that solved my mother’s flan-destroying problems. This recipe, from the brilliant Nick Sharma and his wonderful cookbook The Flavor Equation, makes the smoothest, most perfect flan I’ve ever had, and I searched far and wide. When we nailed Fran for the first time, we let out a scream of joy. (I love making flan with others because when I flip the pan, I want them to cheer when the flan pops out perfectly in a pool of caramel.)
Nick Sharma wrote in his cookbook that he grew up eating a similar “caramel pudding” in India. Sweetened with jaggery, it is eaten on hot summer days in Bombay. In his book, he details the techniques for each recipe, and they are definitely delicious, but also educational. If you’re a fan of Cooke’s illustrated level of food science geekiness, buy this book! It’s amazing.
So what is the perfect flan?
*The caramel will be a golden amber color. Not too light. Not too dark. Depending on your personality, you can be impatient or patient.
*The cream of tartar helps the caramel crystallize, thanks to science (don’t ask me to explain).
*The custard will have a smooth finish without air bubbles. Stir at every step as if you were moving in slow motion. No blender here.
*The custard is not hard, but it has set. Start checking after 45 minutes.
*Bain-Marie is required, sorry. Sure, pouring boiling water onto a baking sheet can be a pain, but it’s what allows the custard to cook the smoothest.
*Homemade. A crackly, bubbly flan would still be perfect if you made it for me.
The Flavor Equation version lets you infuse milk with toasted hazelnuts. I did it one year and it was beautiful and delicate, but the nostalgia in me prefers things milky and simple. Sharma also suggested using hazelnut creamer, which got me thinking about untapped baking uses for coffee creamer.
Anyway, on to Fran.
holiday flan
Recipe adapted from “Hazelnut Flan” from “The Flavor Equation” by Nick Sharma.
Cream of tartar 1/4 teaspoon
3/4 cup sugar (150 grams)
2 cups whole milk
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence or paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
Make the caramel:
Put 1/4 cup water and cream of tartar in a small saucepan and pour the sugar into the center (Sharma’s great tip to keep it from sticking to the sides of the saucepan). Cook over medium-high heat until sugar begins to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes. Once you have the desired caramel color, mine is a moody amber, pour it into an 8-inch round cake pan and quickly swirl the pan so the caramel coats the bottom.
Preparation for baking:
Preheat the oven to 325°F and bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Dig out a 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish that fits the cake pan and a wire rack that fits inside it. (Alternatively, try using foil or kitchen towels to keep the cake pan elevated.)
Make the custard:
Clean out your trusty caramel pot and add the milk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt. Heat over medium heat, but do not boil. We don’t want milkskin. Remove the pot from the heat.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and use a spatula to break up the yolks and gently stir the eggs. This tip from Sharma is a game changer. That’s because whisking too vigorously will create horrible bubbles in the flan. Smooth smoothness is required. Slowly add 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture and mix gently with a spatula. slow motion flan. Enjoy the process. Continue adding the milk slowly in batches until all of it is dissolved. If any lumps form, strain the custard through a fine sieve.
Assemble and bake:
Isn’t it wonderful to see caramel solidify in a cake mold? For an even more perfect flan, hold a spatula over the caramel and slowly pour in the custard in a milky waterfall. Cover the cake pan with two layers of foil, making sure it is completely covered.
Place the flan on a wire rack inside a baking dish and pour boiling water from the kettle into the baking dish, halfway up the sides of the flan pan. (If you need more water, put the kettle back on and add it to the pot in the oven.) Carefully transfer the baking dish with the boiling water and precious flan to the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Peel off the foil and check to see if the custard is set and jiggling slightly (too much jiggling = watery, so keep baking).
Using mitts, remove the flan bread from the baking dish and leave it somewhere in the kitchen to cool. Refrigerate overnight (covered with foil) until completely solidified.
Flip and serve:
Remove the foil and carefully run a long, sharp knife along the edge. Place a rimmed plate/platter on top of the flan plate and tell your sister to start filming. Place both hands on the plate and quickly turn it over. Tap the bottom of the flan dish to let flan know it’s time. Slowly lift the pot and marvel at the beautiful creation. Use a spatula to remove any remaining caramel from the pan.
Slice and enjoy. You may want to add a little sherry.
PS 10 great holiday rituals and 3 hassle-free recipes to make during the holidays.
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