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There is a distinct citrusy lightness to this flan yet it loses none of that creamy mouthfeel that can only come from a baked custard.
To offset the creaminess, I have infused the flan with the flavours of lime, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. This sweet and tangy combination is not only interesting, it also helps to temper the richness of an otherwise conventionally heavy tasting caramel flan.
Remember to drizzle freshly squeezed lime juice over the flan before serving. This final dressing of lime juice turns the pool of caramel sauce refreshingly zesty. It sets this flan distinctly apart from other caramel flans.
This flan is great party food as it feeds many.
Why is this flan Mexican inspired? I recall watching, many years ago, an episode of Planet Food on the Food Channel. A younger and more chiselled looking Tyler Florence, a celebrity chef, was somewhere in Mexico. A Mexican family had invited him to their home to show him how they prepared their flan.
At that time, I had only made flans with fresh milk flavoured with vanilla. When the Mexican lady took out her cans of condensed milk and some limes, I was intrigued. I was even more won over when Tyler Florence 'oohed' and 'ahed' over her flan as he shovelled it in his mouth.
This is my version of the flan I saw on TV. Totally fattening and scrumptious.
Remember to drizzle freshly squeezed lime juice over the flan before serving. This final dressing of lime juice turns the pool of caramel sauce refreshingly zesty. It sets this flan distinctly apart from other caramel flans.
This flan is great party food as it feeds many.
At that time, I had only made flans with fresh milk flavoured with vanilla. When the Mexican lady took out her cans of condensed milk and some limes, I was intrigued. I was even more won over when Tyler Florence 'oohed' and 'ahed' over her flan as he shovelled it in his mouth.
This is my version of the flan I saw on TV. Totally fattening and scrumptious.
Prep:
|
15 minutes
|
Cook: | 1 hour |
Inactive: | Overnight chilling. |
Level: | Moderately easy |
Makes: | Makes a 9" X 1 and 1/2" (23cm X 3.81cm) round flan. About (60 oz) (7 and 1/2 cups) (1.75 l). Serves approximately 12. |
Oven Temperature: | 320F (160C) |
Can recipe be doubled? | Yes, if you have a large enough oven. |
Make ahead? | Keeps well refrigerated up to 2 days. |
Ingredients
To make the flan
3 cups (680ml) (24 oz) condensed milk
3 and 3/4 cups (840ml) (30 oz) fresh milk
1 vanilla pod or use 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
If you are using a vanilla pod, split the pod lengthwise almost in 2. Scrape seeds off with a knife and add both scraped seeds and pod directly into the condensed and fresh milk.
2 to 3 teaspoons lime zest (from 3 large limes)
Save the lime juice for drizzling.
2 large kaffir lime leaves
For reference, refer to my the picture above. It is easily available locally. It should be in the vegetable chiller, right besides the chillies, lemongrass and other local herbs. It should also be easily available at most Asian grocery stores.
1 lemon grass
1 and 1/2 cups eggs (6 to 7 eggs)
To make the caramel
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons water
To drizzle over flan before serving
1/3 to 1/4 cup of lime juice
Items required for baking
- 9" X 2" (23cm X 5cm) round cake pan (not a springform/lose bottom pan).
- As the cake pan will be sitting in a water bath (bain marie), you will also need a baking pan that is wider and of the same or greater depth than the cake pan to create this water bath. I use my roasting pan.
- A kettle of hot water.
Turn on the oven to 320F (160C), oven rack adjusted to lower middle position.
Add the condensed and fresh milk, vanilla pod/vanilla essence and lime zest into a pot and turn on the burner to medium high to heat up the milk. Do not boil.
Once the milk is heated through, turn down the temperature to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid milk from sticking to bottom of the pot.
Once the milk is heated through, turn down the temperature to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid milk from sticking to bottom of the pot.
After 10 minutes, add the kaffir lime leaves (remove the hard centre vein first) and then lemon grass (smash it roughly before adding) and simmer for another 5 minutes. Only devein the leaves and smash the lemon grass just before using so that you lose none of the volatile oils.
After the last 5 minutes of simmering, turn off the burner. Remove the pot from the burner and strain the milk into a jug for easier pouring. Set the empty pot aside (to cool) as you will be reusing it.
If you do not strain the milk, the kaffir lime leaves will start to cook and that will impart a bitter flavour to your milk. The flavour of lemon grass can also get too overpowering if you let it seep too long in the milk.
While the milk is cooling, crack and beat up the eggs. Measure out 1 and 1/2 cups. Set this aside.
Pour in about 1/2 cup of the milk into the cooled pot.
Pour in about 1/2 cup of the milk into the cooled pot.
With a whisk, gently whisk as you pour the beaten eggs into the pot with the 1/2 cup of milk you added in earlier. Now, pour in the rest of the milk, gently whisking as you do to incorporate. Do not work up too many bubbles as you whisk.
Strain this liquid custard back into the jug for easier pouring. This final straining ensures you have a lump free mixture ready for baking. Set aside while you make the caramel.
To make the caramel
In a saucepan, add the sugar and water, set it on a burner and turn the burner on to medium high heat. Do not stir at any point.
After 2 minutes, the sugar should start to dissolve. When most of the sugar has dissolved, shake the saucepan quickly and gently to help the rest of the sugar to dissolve. Do not move away from the stove. Sugar burns quickly.
 |
| Time to remove from the burner |
The change in colour happens rapidly. As soon as the caramel starts turning amber, be prepared to remove the saucepan quickly as soon as it starts to turn a shade darker of amber. Caramel will continue to cook and turn an even darker shade even after you remove the saucepan from the burner. You will be threading a very fine line between a dark amber and a burnt caramel. Watch carefully.
Pour the caramel immediately into the cake pan scrapping up any remaining caramel with a silicon spatula. Working quickly before the caramel hardens, swirl the caramel to coat the base of the pan and 1/4" (0.63cm) up its sides.
Pour the custard mixture into the cake pan and set the cake pan into the roasting tray.
Putting it in the oven to bake
Putting it in the oven to bake
Have your kettle of hot water ready.
Put the roasting tray and cake pan( which is now sitting in the roasting tray) in the oven.
Take your kettle of hot water to the oven and pour the hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches half way up the sides of the cake pan.
Put the roasting tray and cake pan( which is now sitting in the roasting tray) in the oven.
Take your kettle of hot water to the oven and pour the hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches half way up the sides of the cake pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the flan comes out clean. If you shake the cake pan, the flan will wobble like Jell-O.
Remove the cake pan from the roasting tray and cool on a cooling rack.
Cool completely and refrigerate overnight.
Cool completely and refrigerate overnight.
If you are in a hurry to put the cake pan in the refrigerator, immerse the cake pan in an ice bath to cool and then refrigerate.
To serve
Pour hot water over a tea towel. Wring the hot tea towel almost dry. Set aside.
Run a sharp knife between the cake pan and the flan. To ensure you do not accidentally slice into the flan, press the knife blade against the sides of the cake pan as you run the knife around the circumference.
Invert a flat serving vessel with a slight lip to catch the caramel syrup over the cake pan. Sandwich cake pan and serving vessel firmly. Quickly flip the cake pan onto the serving vessel. Centre the cake pan on the serving vessel.
Place hot tea towel over the base of the cake pan. This would help soften the caramel and loosen the flan from the base of the cake pan.
Shake the cake pan gently to ease it out. You will hear a satisfying 'plop' as the flan slides down and out of the cake pan.
When you are ready to serve the flan, pour the lime juice evenly over the flan and the caramel sauce. You might want to taste the caramel sauce as you pour the lime juice to decide how much of the lime juice you would like on it. I like a lot of lime juice.
Tips
Baking it in 1/2 cup size ramekins (serves ~14)
Baking it in ramekins does mean more work. You also need an oven large enough to hold 14 ramekins sitting in a hot water bath (bain marie).
2 things to adjust:
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Can you not see how moist this cake is? I love this super moist Date and Orange Cake! Even better, it's a fairly easy cake to bake.
Tips
Baking it in 1/2 cup size ramekins (serves ~14)
Baking it in ramekins does mean more work. You also need an oven large enough to hold 14 ramekins sitting in a hot water bath (bain marie).
2 things to adjust:
- Make more caramel
- Cooking time
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