- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 16 large egg yolks about 290 g, yolks only
- 28 oz sweetened condensed milk two 14 oz cans, 794 g
- 24 oz evaporated milk two 12 oz cans, 710 ml; in a pinch, 3 cups heavy cream or half and half
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla emulsion
-
Heat the oven and boil water.
Set the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Put a full kettle on. You need boiling water for the water bath. Prepare a roasting pan for the water bath. Line it with a kitchen towel.
Also get 10-inch round pan for the flan. Set aside.
-
Cook the sugar and water. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir. Swirl the pan if you need to help the sugar dissolve, and cook until it turns amber and just starts to smoke.
-
Coat the pan. Take it off the heat right away and pour it into a 10-inch (25 cm) round baking pan, swirling to cover the bottom. Amber caramel burns in seconds, so move fast. Set the pan inside a deep roasting pan lined with a kitchen towel and let the caramel harden. The caramel is extremely hot, so handle it with real care.
-
Whisk the custard. Whisk 16 large egg yolks in a large bowl, then add 28 oz sweetened condensed milk, 24 oz evaporated milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla emulsion. Whisk until smooth, without beating air into it. (Note 3)
-
Strain it over the caramel. Pour the custard through a fine sieve into the pan. Cover tightly with foil or a lid.
-
Add the water bath. Slide the roasting pan onto the oven rack first, then pour boiling water around the flan pan until it comes at least halfway up the side. (Note 4)
-
Bake 90 to 100 minutes. It is done when the center barely jiggles, reads 175°F to 180°F on an instant read thermometer, and the tip of a knife slipped into the middle comes out clean. Do not let it go past 185°F or the custard curdles. (Note 6)
-
Cool, then chill. Let it come to room temperature, cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
-
Flip it out. Run a knife around the edge. Set a rimmed serving plate upside down over the pan, then turn the whole thing over in one quick motion. The flan drops out and the caramel runs over the top. (Note 5)
1. Pan: A 10-inch (25 cm) round pan about 2 inches deep. It also works in one 13x4 Pullman loaf pan or in 9 ramekins - the pan chart in the post above, under “What pan to use for flan”, has the depth and bake time for each. Do not use a springform pan, the seam leaks both ways.
2. Halving: The recipe halves cleanly. Use 8 yolks, one 14 oz can of condensed milk, one 12 oz can of evaporated milk, and 1/2 tsp vanilla, in an 8-inch round pan. For the caramel, use 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp water. Start checking at 55 minutes.
3. Air bubbles: Whisk gently and strain. Air whipped into the custard bakes into holes.
4. Water bath: Pour the boiling water once the roasting pan is already on the oven rack, so you are not carrying it across the kitchen.
5. Leftover whites: Sixteen egg whites freeze well in a covered container for up to 3 months, or go straight into meringue.
6. Metric: Sugar 150 g, water 60 ml, condensed milk 794 g, evaporated milk 710 ml, vanilla 5 ml.
7. Doneness: A thermometer beats the clock on a pan this size. Pull it at 175°F to 180°F in the center. Ovens vary, so start checking at 85 minutes.
8. Firmer set: If you want a flan you can cut into clean slices, use 4 whole large eggs and 8 egg yolks in place of the 16 yolks. The whites set firmer, so it holds its shape instead of wobbling, and the custard bakes a shade paler. Nothing else changes.
9. Do not overcook - overcooking will curdle the flan and make it grainy instead of custardy smooth. Watch the video for what the wobble should look like when the flan is done, or use a thermometer.