A basic custard, topped with a thin layer of caramel, this Crème Caramel is cooked to rich, silky perfection using sous vide.
Soooo, it's been a few months since I last pressed the publish button here. And what a wild few months it has been - a pandemic that has halted life as we knew it, a much needed global uprising against racial injustice and systemic racism, and the pre and post-election debacle of our neighbours to the south.
No shortage of drama. It's all so exhausting and mainly why I haven't been around these parts. Although it's been a while since the publish button has yielded to my index finger, I haven't stopped creating, it is what has helped keep me sane-ish.
a custard by many names
The first time I made crème caramel was back in Baking Arts. They were simple enough and we got to play around with sugar accents. However, the real star of that class was the Chocolate Orange Coffee Baravian Cream. But, I digress...
Crème caramel, or flan (which has different meanings depending on region), is a variation of one of many custard desserts. The French call it crème caramel. In the Catalan region of Spain, it goes by crema catalana. Pudim in Brazil and Portugal. The list goes on, but you get the picture. Then there is Flan Parisien, which I'll leave for another post.
traditional crème caramel
Traditionally, a caramel is cooked and poured to coat the mold, usually a ramekin or other heat-proof dish - I've even seen pop and beer cans used in the Caribbean. The caramel is topped with a simple egg custard, cooked stove-top using a double-boiler and then baked in a water bath (bain marie) in the oven. The water bath provides a layer of insulation for the custard to cook slowly and evenly. When ready, the custard is removed from the oven, cooled at room temperature and then chilled. To serve, the custard is loosened and the mold is inverted onto a plate to enjoy.
Temperature is key to a successful custard. As a general rule, the custard should not exceed 82ºC. This makes custard-based desserts perfect candidates for cooking sous vide.
sous vide crème caramel
Unlike starch-thickened or gelatin-set custards, custards thickened by eggs are the most delicate of the bunch.
Cooking crème caramel custard sous vide, has a number of benefits. In addition to less steps, it gives you more control over temperature, more hands-off time and is essentially foolproof (translation - no overcooked eggs).
Instead of cooking stovetop, I simply blend the custard ingredients and add them to my caramel lined jars. The jars are then carefully capped and placed in the preheated water bath that cooks the custard at a consistent temperature. Once ready, the same steps as above apply - cooling at room temperature, chilling and serving.
memories of flan
My memory of flan as a child, was the one my grandma made, rich and sweet with coconut cream, condensed and evaporated milk. How is it made in your culture?
Ingredients
for the caramel:
- 192 grams granulated sugar
for the custard:
- 76.5 grams condensed milk
- 426.5 grams whole milk
- 144 grams granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ vanilla bean scraped
Instructions
Mise en place:
- Scale your ingredients.
- Prepare your jars by ensuring they are clean and lids are defect-free.
- Set up your water bath, add the empty, covered jars to the bath and heat along with the water to 82ºC.
Make a caramel:
- Add sugar to a clean saucepan and cook until you achieve a deep amber colour.
- Remove jars from water bath and place on a towel. Remove lids and carefully pour in enough caramel to coat the bottom of each jar. Swirl the jar to coat the sides. Allow to set.
Make the custard:
- Mix together, all the custard ingredients with an immersion blender, whisk or hand mixer. Pour evenly into each caramel-coated jar.
- Cook the custard:
- Attach lids, finger-tip tight and add to heated water bath. Cook for 1 hour.
- Remove from water bath, and place on a towel-lined counter to cool at room temperature. Then transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
- Plate and serve:
- When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and allow to warm at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- Slide a thin palette knife around the sides of the custard to loosen from the jar. Invert the jar onto a plate to remove the flan from the jar. If it doesn’t slide out of the jar, apply a little heat to the bottom and sides of the jar, using a kitchen torch or heat gun on low setting.
- Optional: finish off with a tuile or other topping of your choice, or simply enjoy, as -is.
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