Perfect Flan (aka Crème Caramel)

My son has had a lot of opportunities to practice flan recipes lately. He made them for his sister's graduation, his father's birthday, and one more time just for pandemic-cooking-at-home fun. This is his best recipe and I want to make sure we document it before his modifications got lost in his MCAT-studying brain. There are two elements to flan and getting each one right takes some attention. The caramel should be dark, but not too dark. The flan should be rich and smooth. (Yes, use the strainer, it makes a difference.) Most importantly the flan and most of the caramel should release from the ramekins when it is time to serve. This is often a sticking point. Literally. But when all the elements come together, flan is a simple yet elegant dessert. Go ahead, give it a try!

Perfect Flan

Adapted from the350degreeoven

Serves 8

For the caramel:

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tblsp water

For the flan:

3 cups half and half

5 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Gather 8 six-ounce ramekins (3.5" diameter), a large roasting pan, kitchen towel and a wire mesh strainer. 

To make the caramel, combine the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan with a light-colored interior (so you can see the color of the caramel). Cover the pan and warm over medium heat. After a minute, remove the lid. Cook for 5 minutes or so, swirling the pot gently every 30 seconds until the mixture is a golden amber color. Don't stir the mixture to avoid crystalizing the sugar. Watch the caramelizing carefully as the sugar can go from amber to burned in a few seconds. 

Once the caramel is done, remove the pan from the heat and quickly pour it into the bottoms of the ramekins - enough to cover the bottom of each. The caramel will harden instantly, so tilt the ramekins as you pour to make sure the bottom is covered. (You can also preheat the ramekins in the oven for 5 minutes to make the caramel spread more easily.)

In a medium bowl, gently mix all the custard ingredients with a wire whisk being careful not to introduce bubbles into the mixture. Strain the mixture into a pitcher or a container with a spout.

Line the bottom of the roasting pan with the kitchen towel. Arrange the ramekins on top of the towel. Divide the custard mixture evenly between the ramekins.

Collect a pitcher of very hot tap water and pour it carefully into the roasting pan to make a water bath  (called a bain-marie). The water should come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Take care not to let any water get into the ramekins.

Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and bake 25-30 minutes. The centers will be almost set, but still be a little bit jiggly. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the ramekins sit in the hot water for another 10 minutes to continue cooking. 

Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cover each one with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, run a knife around the edge of each ramekin to loosen the flan, place an inverted dessert plate on top and flip the whole thing over. Serve chilled or at room temperature.