Everyone will have their own recipe for “flan”, the most popular Spanish pudding and here is mine. The secret to it is that the eggs must be free range and really fresh and the milk must be fresh too. Also I like to make it in a rectangular glazed earthernware dish – I don’t know if this makes much difference, but it always comes out nice and creamy.
Ingredients:
For the flan: 1 pint fresh milk | 3 fresh free-range eggs and 1 egg yolk | 3 ounces caster sugar | vanilla pod or vanilla essence.
For the caramel: 3 ounces caster sugar
Method:
1. Preheat the oven – gas mark 3 or 150 C.
2.Put the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil with the vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla essence.
3. Break the eggs and the egg yolk into a large bowl, add sugar and beat until light in colour.
4. Pour boiling milk over (having removed the vanilla pod) and beat for half a minute. Let it stand and then remove the froth which forms.
5. Melt sugar without any water on top of the stove and allow it to become slightly dark. It can easily burn so watch it all the time, stirring with a wooden spoon. Pour into an ovenware dish ( I use a glazed earthenware dish, but pyrex is O.K.).
6. Pour in the milk and egg mixture.
7. Cook in a bain marie for one hour at Gas mark 3 or 150 C . It should have formed a skin on the top and be firm to touch.
8. Take it out of the bain marie and leave to cool.
9. When you wish to serve it, run a knife round the edges of the dish and then turn it out on a plate.
Buen provecho!
