Smooth And Creamy Flan

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 4 drops vinegar
• 2 vanilla beans, split
• 4 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten and combined with
• 7 egg yolks (from large eggs)

Recipe

• 1 place 10 custard cups in a large roasting pan that has a terry cloth towel on the bottom, there should be an inch or so between the pan and the cups.
• 2 place 3 quarts, give or take, of water on the stove to boil.
• 3 preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
• 4 with a single rack in the center of the oven.
• 5 caramel:combine all the ingredients for the caramel in a heavy, unlined pot with a tight fitting lid.
• 6 bring to a boil over medium-high heat with the lid on and let boil for a few minutes, until all the sugar is dissolved and condensation has cleaned the sides of the pot.
• 7 do not stir or swirl.
• 8 remove lid and heat until it turns light brown.
• 9 divide it evenly among the custard cups, swirl each to run the caramel up the sides.
• 10 filling:scrape the vanilla beans into a large, heavy pan with the half and half, add sugar and salt.
• 11 scald (170 degrees or so) over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.
• 12 once the sugar is all dissolved and the cream is steaming remove from heat and cool until just warm (120 degrees) slowly add 1/2 cup warm cream to the eggs while whisking, add another cup of cream to the eggs and continue to whisk.
• 13 pour the egg mixture back into the pan.
• 14 remove, rinse and reserve vanilla beans.
• 15 whisk vigorosly or beat with an immersion blender until smooth.
• 16 ladel custard through a strainer into cups, pull oven rack out, place roaster on rack with cups and towel in place, pour almost boiling water around in the pan so the custard cups are 2/3rd submerged (or so).
• 17 bake for 45 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• 18 rotate pan 180 degrees halfway through process to ensure even baking.
• 19 remove from roasting pan and immediatly refrigerate uncovered until cool.
• 20 one cooled cover.
• 21 best served the same day, but will keep well for 2 or 3 days.
• 22 optionally you can use some jam or chocolate sauce in the bottom of the custard cup.