Flan à la Vanille de Tahiti (Tahitian Vanilla Caramel Custard)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch round cake pan, at least 2 inches deep, or a 1.5-quart flan mold
• •Heavy 2-quart saucepan for caramel
• •Large roasting pan for the water bath
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional but useful

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the oven

   Heat the oven to 325F. Set an 8-inch round cake pan, at least 2 inches deep, near the stove, and place a folded kitchen towel in the bottom of a roasting pan for the water bath. The towel keeps the custard pan steady so the eggs take gentle heat, not a hard shock.

2. 2

   Cook the caramel

   Put 3/4 cup sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan now and then, but don't stir once it starts boiling. Cook until the syrup turns deep amber, like polished koa wood, then pour it straight into the cake pan and tilt the pan so the caramel coats the bottom.

   Caramel is hotter than it looks. Keep your hands clear and don't taste it from the spoon until it cools hard.
3. 3

   Infuse the milk

   Combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, scraped vanilla seeds, vanilla pod, and salt in a saucepan. Warm it until small bubbles gather at the edge, then take it off the heat and let it sit 15 minutes. If you're using extract, warm the milk first and stir the extract in off the heat.

4. 4

   Whisk the eggs

   In a wide bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and 1/2 cup sugar until the sugar loosens into the eggs and the mixture looks smooth. Keep the whisk low and quiet. Foam bakes into bubbles, and bubbles make a custard with holes.

5. 5

   Temper and strain

   Pull the vanilla pod from the milk. Whisking all the time, pour the warm milk into the eggs in a slow stream so the eggs don't scramble. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the caramel-lined pan. Tap the pan lightly once or twice to break any large surface bubbles.

6. 6

   Bake it gentle

   Set the custard pan inside the roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the custard pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center gives one soft tremble when you nudge it. It should not slosh.

   An instant-read thermometer should read about 170F to 175F in the center. No blame the custard if you rush it with hard heat; eggs remember.
7. 7

   Cool and chill

   Lift the flan from the water bath and cool it on the counter for 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours, overnight if you can. The chill is part of the set, not waiting around for nothing.

8. 8

   Unmold and share

   Run a thin knife around the edge. Set the bottom of the pan in warm water for 20 to 30 seconds, then invert a rimmed platter over it and flip with confidence. Lift the pan slowly and let the caramel spill over the pale custard. Slice it cold and pass it around.

Chef Tips

• •A Tahaʻa vanilla bean is worth using here because the whole dish is built around that perfume. If you only have extract, use a good Tahitian one and add it off the heat so it doesn't fade.
• •Evaporated milk belongs in real Pacific pantries, and it gives the flan a steady body. More whole milk works too, lighter and softer.
• •Take the caramel darker than honey but stop before it smells burnt. Pale caramel tastes only sweet; amber caramel gives the custard its backbone.
• •For a coconut-leaning table, replace 1 cup of whole milk with unsweetened coconut milk. Keep the vanilla in front. This is Tahitian vanilla flan first.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the flan 1 day ahead for the cleanest slices and the deepest vanilla flavor.
• •The baked flan keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before unmolding.
• •Do not unmold it until close to serving. Once turned out, the caramel keeps running and the custard is best eaten the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)