Vanilla Bean Flan

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(Recipe ID: 380)

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus cooling; Cook time: 2 1/2 hours

Source: Chef Joseph Lowery

Traditional dessert ending at many Mexican restaurants.

Ingredients

Items indicated with an astrisk (*) available for purchase in the Avanti Savoia store.

  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 4 cups Milk
  • 1 Whole vanilla bean *
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt (or less) *
  • 4 Whole eggs
  • 6 Egg yolks

Instructions

  1. To coat the mold with caramel:  heat a small cast iron pan.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar and continue to heat until the sugar melts.
  3. At this point, stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar darkens.
  4. Do not let it burn!
  5. Pour the caramel into the mold and turn it around, tipping it from side to side until the caramel coats the bottom and halfway up the sides.
  6. Set it aside to cool while you make the flan.
  7. In a saucepan, heat the milk, vanilla bean and remaining sugar and simmer it for 12 to 15 minutes.
  8. Set aside to cool.
  9. Beat the eggs and yolks together and add to the cooled milk.
  10. Pour this mixture through a strainer into the caramel-coated mold.
  11. Cover the mold with a lid or a lightly buttered piece of foil.
  12. Set the mold in a pan of hot water that comes about halfway up the side of the mold.
  13. Bake on the bottom shelf for about 2 hours.
  14. Test for donenes by inserting a knife blade.
  15. When done, the blade will come out clean.
  16. Cool and then chill overnight.
  17. To serve, remove from refrigerator for an hour or two and invert on a serving dish.
  18. The caramel will form a moist delicious syrup surrounding the flan.