Flan

Puerto Rico Recipe from our friends Carlos & Zaida

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 2 cans of evaporated milk
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 1 aluminum cake pan

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients well in a blender for two minutes.

Caramel:

• Add 5 or 6 tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of water to the pan. The more sugar you add, more caramel you get.
• Place pan with sugar on the stove at medium high and stir with a spoon until sugar starts melting. When it starts melting lower the heat to low to avoid the caramel to overcook. Caramel is done as soon as you dont see sugar (everything  is liquefied).
• Be sure caramel covers the whole are the flan will cover in the pan. Be careful the caramel is hot.
• Wait until the caramel cools down and get thicker before pouring the flan mix.

To cook the flan:

It can be done in the conventional oven as well as top of the stove. We have done it top of the stove only. I guess the oven will be easier and faster.

• Pour the flan mix into the pan.
• Get a  pot bigger than the pan and file it half way or less with water. The idea of this is to have the pan with the flan mix floating inside the pot with water. You dont want the pot to be too big because the pot will move to much. You dont want too much water because when it boils it can get to the flan mix. Be sure the water dont evaporate because the flan will burn. Be sure to pour more water into the pot (not the flan mix) if it starts to evaporate too much.
• Cook for an hour and a half at medium heat.
• Verify with an toothpick if the flan is done. If necessary cook for longer time.

 To get the flan off the pan:

•  Using a little spatula or knife on the corners. You know,  the same way you do with a cake.
• Put it on a plate not so flat to keep the caramel inside the plate.
• Put the plate on top of the pan and turn it over.

Congratulations!  there is your flan.

To eat:

• Let it cool down. I prefer it cool.
• Refrigerate. Place it on the warmest section.

Good Luck.