The Enchilada Queen Shares her Enchilada Queen Classic Flan Recipe

From our The Vivant’s Top Ten: Chefs Share Their Favorite Dessert Recipe feature, there’s no better flan than flan from “The Enchilada Queen,” Sylvia Casares, who serves up her old family recipe at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen in Houston.

Enchilada Queen Classic Flan

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2⁄3 cup whole milk
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1¾ teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar and ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns deep golden brown, caramel-colored. Set aside off the heat to cool for about 15 minutes. Pour the caramelized sugar into each custard cup to a depth of about ¼ inch, or pour all the caramelized sugar into the bottom of a round baking dish.
2. Place the cups or baking dish in a rectangular pan, about 1 inch apart. Carefully add enough hot tap water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Set aside.
3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, eggs, and vanilla. Using a whisk or electric mixer on low speed, blend to combine well.
5. Carefully fill each custard cup or round baking pan nearly to the top.
6. Carefully, so as not to slosh water into the custard cups, place the baking pan with the water in the oven. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of a flan comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 1 hour.
7. Lift the custard cups or baking dish from the water bath. Dry the sides and cover each cup tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.
8. To serve, loosen the flan from each cup by running a butter knife around the sides. Place a dessert plate on top of the dish. Carefully, but quickly, invert the dish so that flan slides out and caramelized sugar flows nicely around the flan and onto the plate for a mouthwatering presentation. Serve.

Dan Blacharski

Dan Blacharski is editor-in-chief of TheVivant.com.

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