Coconut Flan with Caramel
Submitted by dcrawford
Vietnamese-style coconut flan baked in a water bath with homemade caramel. Silky coconut milk custard with a bittersweet caramel sauce that pools around every slice. Elegant, simple, and make-ahead friendly.
YIELD
5 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
40 minThis is the flan you find at the best Vietnamese restaurants, where the coconut milk makes the custard richer and more fragrant than any Western version you’ve tried.
A thin layer of homemade caramel coats the bottom of the dish first. Then a smooth custard of coconut milk, regular milk, eggs, and vanilla gets poured in and slow-baked in a water bath until it’s barely set and jiggly in the center.
When you flip it out onto a plate, the caramel cascades down the sides like liquid gold. The texture is impossibly smooth, and the coconut flavor is subtle but unmistakable.
Chef Tips
- Stand back when adding hot water to the caramel. It splatters violently and the steam can burn you.
- Line the roasting pan with paper towels before setting the dish inside. This prevents the custard from overcooking on the bottom.
- Strain the custard through a fine sieve for a flawlessly smooth texture. Skip this step and you risk eggy bits in your flan.
- Chill thoroughly before unmolding. A warm flan will crack and crumble when you flip it.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Make the caramel: Cook the sugar in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, swirling the pan constantly, until brown. Stir the hot water into the caramel, being careful to guard against splattering (the mixture will bubble vigorously).
Boil the mixture, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour the caramel syrup into a 1-quart souffle dish or five 4-ounce ramekins. Tilt the molds to coat all of the surfaces with caramel.
Make the custard: Combine the coconut milk, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat.
Scald until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla.
Gradually whisk the hot coconut milk mixture into the eggs, blending thoroughly. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Carefully pour into the caramel-lined souffle dish or ramekins. Line a large roasting pan with 2 layers of paper towels (see Note).
Put the souffle dish in the roasting pan and add hot water to reach halfway up the side of the dish.
Bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes (30 minutes if using ramekins), or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Be careful not to let the water boil; do not disturb the custard while baking.
Remove the souffle immediately from the hot water. Allow to cool in a cold-water bath. Chill thoroughly.
To serve, run a knife around the edge of the custard and turn out onto dessert plates. Serve with shaved ice or whipped cream, if desired.
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