Ingredients
For the Caramel
1/2 cup/100 g sugar
2 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
For the Flan Base
One 14 oz/400 g can sweetened condensed milk
One 12 oz/354 ml can evaporated milk
1 cup/240 ml whole milk
1 tsp ground green cardamom
1 cup/240 ml mango purée
4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F/163C.
- Prepare the caramel. Combine the 1/2 cup/100 g sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar caramelizes and turns dark brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Quickly pour the hot liquid into an 8 in/20 cm round cake pan and rotate to coat evenly. The caramel will stiffen quickly as it cools.
- Prepare the flan base. Mix the three milks and cardamom in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until it simmers at 180F/82C. Stir often with a silicone spatula to prevent scorching at the bottom. Remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the mango purée and eggs, until smooth using a silicone spatula. Avoid overwhisking the mixture. You can also use a whisk but avoid incorporating too many air bubbles. Carefully fold 1 cup of the warm milk into the mango mixture. Repeat until all the milk is incorporated.
- Set a silicone spatula over the caramel in the pan. Set a fine mesh sieve over the spatula and carefully pour in the mango-milk mixture. Discard any bits of egg left in the sieve. Cover the top of the pan tightly with one or two layers of foil.
- Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil. Place a deep, wide baking dish or pan large enough to accommodate the round baking pan in the oven. Place a circular wire rack inside the dish or make a thick 8 in/20 cm ring with aluminum foil to prevent the baking pan from the touching the base of the baking dish.
- Carefully place the prepared baking pan over the rack or ring in the center of the larger dish. Pour the boiling water from the kettle into the space between the baking pan and the large dish and fill to about 1/2 in/12 mm from the top of the baking pan. Cook in the oven. Start to check the temperature of the flan after 50 minutes of cooking, and continue to cook until the center of the pudding reaches 170F/77C on an instant-read thermometer. The flan should be very tender and jiggle. Remove the pan from the dish, cover loosely with the foil, and let it cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the baking dish overnight to firm up.
- The next day, remove the foil. Run a small, sharp knife around the edges of the flan. Place a large serving plate over the baking pan, hold tightly, and flip. Tap the baking pan gently to help release the flan. Scrape any extra caramel liquid from the baking pan over the top of the flan. Serve chilled. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- You can make the flan in smaller individual portions. I like to use small ramekin bowls or a muffin tray and fill them up to 1/2 cup.
- I prefer using canned mango purée for the flan, but if you use fresh mango pulp, make sure to purée it, heat it, and simmer for 2 minutes before using it. Raw mango contains proteases, which are enzymes that cut other proteins, and in this case, they will curdle the milk proteins and prevent them from forming a smooth flan.
- I’ve found that overwhisking the flan batter incorporates too much air, and often, it shows up in the flan after cooking. It isn’t a defect, just a visual feature that some people (especially flan aficionados) don’t like.
- I find measuring the temperature of the flan to be a better index of when to stop cooking. It won’t overcook and the flan will be very delicate and tender.
