Traditional Spanish Flan

A silky, dense custard topped with clear amber caramel. The texture is perfectly smooth, without air bubbles, and melts instantly in the mouth with a deep vanilla note.

• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 50 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 318
• Protein: 11 g
• Carbs: 48 g
• Fat: 9 g

Ingredients

• 4 piece Egg ( whole )
• 500 ml Whole milk ( fresh )
• 166.7 g White sugar ( divided )
• 0.7 piece Vanilla bean ( split and scraped )
• 1.3 tbsp Mineral water ( for the caramel )

Instructions

1. Making the caramel

   In a saucepan, heat 100g of white sugar with mineral water. Cook without stirring until it reaches a deep amber color. Immediately pour into the bottom of your molds, coating the sides well.

2. Infusing the milk

   Split the vanilla bean in two and scrape the seeds. Bring the whole milk to a boil with the bean and seeds, then remove from heat to let it infuse.

3. Preparing the custard

   In a mixing bowl, mix the eggs with the remaining 150g of white sugar. Whisk gently without creating foam to avoid air bubbles in the flan's body.

4. Mixing and straining

   Pour the warm milk over the eggs while stirring gently. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove impurities and the bean, then pour into the caramelized molds.

5. Bain-marie baking

   Place the molds in a dish filled two-thirds with hot water. Bake at 150°C. The flan is done when it is set on the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center.

Chef's tips

• To avoid air bubbles, never whisk the mixture violently.
• Let the flan rest for at least 12 hours in the fridge before unmolding; the caramel needs to liquefy.
• The water bath must never boil, otherwise the flan will have a grainy texture.

Storage

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in the original molds.