Leche Flan

When two people are dating, there will come a point in the relationship when one is hit by the realization that liking is now loving. Actually, my realization came pretty fast. On our fourth date, while watching TV in his apartment, my then-boyfriend-now-husband states “I make the best Leche Flan”. Visions of me sitting comfortably on the sofa every night while he labors in the kitchen preparing our dinner came swirling in my head. I am marrying this man!

Leche flan, though only has a few ingredients, requires quite a few tricks to be good leche flan. Anyways, out we went to a nearby Ralphs to pick up the milk and eggs and sugar that a single guy never to seem to have at home. As it turned out, he does make the best leche flan. As it also turned out, that’s all he knows how to cook. Found out too late that my sitting comfortably on the sofa waiting for my dinner to be served is just what it was…imagination.

When I got home from work last night, I found my kitchen piled with shell eggs, lineras (aluminum pans) and milk cans. Amidst the mess was my husband busily straining the egg-milk mixture with a cheesecloth into the pans. “Party at so and so tomorrow. They asked me to make my leche flan.”

I wanted to start my first post last night. But with him calling me every two seconds (ten years in the same house and he still doesn’t know where the tongs are) and with the clean-up he left behind, had to wait till today. So here I am, savoring the best leche flan ever, finally ready to write my very first post! Exciting! I actually took my own pictures of the flan but my daughter found this on flicker.com by “simply anne” and I thought it ties in perfectly with my blog!

12/31/2007 UPDATE: When I found out about the BEST of 2007 blog event today, I knew right away this is the recipe I am sending because of three reasons:
1) This leche flan recipe connects me to the time when my relationship with my husband was at its sweetest. It was when he wouldn’t be in front of the TV watching and I won’t be in front of the computer blogging!
2) This was my very first blog post! I didn’t even know how to upload pictures then!
3) It really is the best leche flan recipe! My friends who have eaten lineras upon lineras can testify to that!

Makes 6 Lineras

30 eggs (egg yolks only)
4 cans evaporated milk (14 oz)
3 cans condensed milk (12 oz)
Sugar
lineras
Cheesecloth
Aluminum foil

Prepare caramel base by putting 1-2 tbsps sugar on each linera and running the pans on the stove, using tongs to move pans over very low flame. It will take just a couple of minutes to melt the sugar into a rich, brown liquid.
Separate yolks. Remove all white as possible. Add evaporated and condensed milk. Mix mixture with a spoon in one circular direction, avoiding building of “foams” in the mixture.
Strain the mixture into lineras with a cheesecloth to remove the excess white part of the egg. Cover the lineras tightly with aluminum foil.
Arrange lineras in a deep aluminum pan (ones used for roasting or those used for serving in buffets will do nicely) filled with water halfway of the lineras. Add more water in the middle of the cooking time, if needed, to prevent burning of bottom. Cook in oven at 375 F for around 30-40 minutes. The water-bath is more like “steam-cooking” than baking. Insert a toothpick in the center to check if done.
Cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

TIPS:
1) I find cold eggs allow better separation of yolk from white. There is also a tool called “egg separator” that can be purchased for around $2. However, I find it faster to just transfer the egg from one hand to the other. Messier, but easier. Some recipes include the white. You can if you want, but that creates a denser, tougher product. This recipe creates a very smooth, melts-in-your-mouth texture. You can use the leftover egg whites for your meringue recipes or for your morning omelets such as with zucchini and cheese.
2) Lineras are oblong-shaped aluminum pans that you can buy from any Filipino market. If you can’t find one, a regular muffin or cake pan will do.
3) Straining the egg mixture with a cheesecloth is an important step. This process removes the foams that may create bubbles when flan is cooked. Soft cotton cloth like that of a t-shirt will work just as well.
4) The amount of sugar you use for your caramel depends on how sweet you want your flan. Be careful not to rush the melting procedure by using high flames as this will burn the liquid resulting to a very bitter taste. Think color of light brown sugar vs dark brown sugar when deciding if caramel is just right.
5) My husband experimented yesterday by adding fruit to the regular recipe. He just placed 2-3 tablespoons of canned fruit cocktail on the linera before pouring mixture. ”Fruta de Leche” he proudly calls it. I was not very ecstatic with it though. But it is a good way to add some fruit into the kids’ diet.