Flan (Cream Caramel)

Welcome to the Enchanted Stove where everyday the stove top is full of delicious things to eat. Let's cook something magical. The recipes on this blog have been tested in my kitchen.

             Flan (Crème Caramel)

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Y  Mother was the Queen of  Flan. She used to make it for every occasion at our place.  She even began to make it upon request by the neighbours.  I wondered why she never thought to sell her flans or start her own franchise.........she could have made a fortune; Although, my Dad often jested that the quality ingredients she uses and the slices she serves she would lose out on the profits.  For Mom always cut thick slices of flan for my Father and I and would use the finest ingredients she could get, always using up to 12 free range eggs  per flan and used Carnation® Evaporated milk, Carnation® Sweetened condensed milk and 8 ounces of fresh whole milk....and the finest vanilla essence she could find.  This was just to make the egg custard for the flan.  She made her caramel with granulated sugar and same ratio of water as sugar.

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Lan has been around for centuries.  The dish was first found in ancient Rome.  The Romans used eggs to make custard-like savoury dish which was baked.  The Romans loved eel flan. They learned to make sweet flan as well which they sweetened with honey and sprinkled, not with sugar, but with none other than....pepper! Spain later adopted the Roman egg custard dish, using caramelized sugar as a base topping for the custard. This was the birth of the modern flan. 

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lan, in the British connotation of the word means a sweet or savoury pastry case used to fill with whipped cream, strawberries and other fruits.  To the British, what Spain calls Flan is known as Crème Caramel.   The French use both the pastry case and egg custard meaning of the word flan, baking their egg custard in little moulds in a Bain Marie.

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rom Spain and throughout Europe the idea of this sweet decadent dessert travelled to the Americas and Caribbean.  In my parents’ native country of Cuba, there is a mirage of ways of making flan.  Some Cuban cooks make chocolate flan, other Cuban cooks make pumpkin flan, coconut flan, coffee flan, and even one flavoured with orange.

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he word flan evolved from the old French word, Flaoun which they adopted from the Latin ‘Fladon’, which means ‘custard’.

                                                    Flan

Ingredients

4 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

2 egg whites

1 can (8oz) evaporated milk

1 can (8 oz) sweetened condensed milk

8 oz whole milk (You can substitute skim milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 US cup (8 ounces) granulated sugar

1 cup water

1.      Method Make the crème caramel. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan pour the cup of sugar and water over high heat. Let the sugar caramelize and turn a lovely amber colour, for about twenty minutes. Don't let it burn.  Shake the pan from side to side occasionally, but be careful not to burn yourself for the mixture can get extremely hot.

2.      Have ready a deep Pyrex dish ready; alternatively, you can use small glass ramekin dishes for individual flans.  Once the crème caramel sauce is done remove from heat and (VERY QUICKLY) pour the sauce into the Pyrex dish or individual ramekin dishes.

3.      In a large bowl pour the evaporated, sweetened condensed milk and whole milk and stir to combine.  Add  the eggs and the vanilla. With an electric beater beat this mixture until well combined.  Pour the mixture into the prepared Pyrex or individual ramekins. 

4.      Prepare a Bain Marie.  Get a large roasting pan and place the Pyrex (or ramekins) in this pan. Pour enough water till the water comes about 1 inch from the sides of the Pyrex/ramekins.

5.      Bake in oven for 2 hours if making a large flan or 55 minutes respectably if making individual ramekins.

6.      Once the flan is cooked remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes...then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. 

7.      Once the flan has set in the fridge you want to unmold it.  To do this first run a butter knife around the perimetres of the flan to loosen it.  Give the mold a gentle shake.  Carefully put a serving platter over the Pyrex/ramekins and with one fast move invert the plate so that the flan is resting on the plate and the Pyrex/ramekin is on top.  Let the melted caramel sauce drip unto the platter.

Welcome to the Enchanted Stove where everyday the stove top is full of delicious things to eat. Let's cook something magical. The recipes on this blog have been tested in my kitchen.

Cuban-Style Picadillo

This is an authentic Creole dish that is served in Cuba and Latin American countries.  The name, ‘picadillo’ originated from the Spanish word ‘picar’ which translates to ‘shred’ in English.  This is because the dish consists of shredded or minced beef seasoned with garlic, onion, green pepper and cumin which is sautéed with 4 ounces of dry white wine and tomato puree. This is how the Cubans season the ground or mince beef.  In some regions of Cuba cooks may add cubed cooked potatoes or even raisins or olives.   In Cuba the dish is served over rice accompanied with plantain crisps or sweet or fried plantain.

Ingredients:

½ Lb mince beef

1 potato diced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon tomato puree

1 diced green pepper

1 onion, diced
4 ounces dry white wine or vino seco as it is called in Spanish

2 TBS vegetable oil

1 large potato, cubed

Method:

1.        In a heavy saucepan pour 2 Tablespoons of oil.  Sautee onions and green pepper till translucent (3 minutes) on the moderately hot hob (mark 4).

2.       Brown beef until it is no longer pink. (5 to 10 minutes) Add condiments, tomato puree, wine.  Stir. 

3.       Add potatoes; Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. *Alternatively and to save time cook the ½ inch cubed potatoes in the microwave for 10 to 15 minutes prior to cooking the picadillo. Drain and add them to the picadillo at the last stage of the cooking process.  This will save time.

4.       Serve over rice

Utensils

Heavy bottomed saucepan, preferably one with a lid.

Measuring jug

Slotted spoon

Knife for cutting potatoes

Rice cooker or saucepan to cook the rice

Preparation time

15 minutes

Cooking time

30 minutes

Ready in

45 minutes

Bon Appetit!





Carne Con Papas (Cuban-style beef stew)

Welcome to the Enchanted Stove where everyday the stove top is full of delicious things to eat. Let's cook something magical.

Carne Con Papas is a tradicional, authentic Cuban dish consisting of stewing beef that is slowly braised in gravy made with 1 cup of beef stock and 1 cup of white wine seasoned with ground Cumin, salt, Pepper and oregano.  The stewing beef is marinated in the juice of 1 lemon, 1 chopped clove of garlic, salt and pepper for about an hour to 24 hours prior to cooking.  Carne con Papas is the Spanish derivative of Meat and Potatoes.  It is usually eaten on a bed of white rice. A good Carne con Papas makes a nice stew for those cold winter nights.  But it is not just reserved for winter.  This authentic Cuban dish can be enjoyed year round.

Ingredients

To marinade the beef:  

The juice of one Lemon

2 cloves of garlic

Sprinkling of salt and pepper

1 pound stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup beef stock (You can use a beef bouillon dissolved in boiling water)

1 cup dry sherry or Spanish white wine

8 ounces tomato sauce

1 Spanish onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 tin of petite pois

1 cup of finely chopped green pepper

For the seasoning:  1 teaspoon each of salt, Pepper and cumin

1 Table spoon of cornstarch diluted in 1 Table spoon of water (Optional)

4 potatoes, peeled and cut in wedges

Cooked White rice (To serve as a bed for the Cuban-Style beef Stew)