Flan (Custard's MUCH Sexier Cousin)

This recipe comes from my friend Genevieve, who is an amazing cook. It's actually her grandmother's recipe and the real deal! Whenever I go to a function of Genevieve's, I cross my fingers that this flan will be there.  I thought the recipe would never be released into my hands, that it was closely guarded by someone or something like the Bush's baked bean dog, but classier.  Genevieve has been baking this flan for years without having written down the recipe.  So here it is, for all to enjoy.  It is not the easiest thing to make, but is by far one of my favorite desserts.  Be sure to bring all ingredients to room temperature before you start, this is very important so don't skip it.

Ingredients

8 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup regular milk (whatever you have in the fridge, but don't even try soy, I've ruined some things by using soy milk)

6 tablespoons of water (in a bowl, ready to go)

4 cups sugar (2 for the caramel and one for the custard)

3 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons guava paste (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350
First you must make the caramel that once all is done, will be dripping down the sides of your flan, lickably good at the bottom of the dish. If you have absolutely no idea how to do this, don’t worry, it’s just sugar and you can always start over! This is something you must babysit until it is complete.  Put two cups of sugar in a nonstick pan.  I set the timer to see how long it took and it was between 10-15 minutes.  It will start by just getting clumpy and then turning into slightly golden pebbles, see-

The sugar will continue to melt, stir with your wooden spoon until it’s liquid, brown and bubbly. Remove from heat and carefully add your six tablespoons of water. Stand back, you don’t want this stuff to splash on your arm! Stir immediately and mash in your guava paste, the guava paste is optional but gives the flan a tangy, fruity flavor that makes your guests ask, “what is in this that makes it so good?” Stir this mixture until it is calm and immediately pour into the dish of your choosing.

I used a large soufflé, you could use a glass 7” x 11” casserole, or individual crème brulee dishes.  Set this aside.

It gets easier from here! Stir your three milks together until the sweetened condensed milk isn’t sitting at the bottom and they’re incorporated into one thick milk mixture. Whisk 8 eggs together and add 2 cups of sugar.  Whisk milk mixture slowly into the eggs and sugar, add vanilla and salt.  Gently pour this through a sieve to remove any sugar or egg lumps (nobody likes a lumpy flan).  

Transfer this to the pan with the caramel and you’re ready to bake.  Use a water bath or Bano de Maria.   You do this by placing your baking dish in a larger dish and filling it up about an inch with boiling water.  Bake for one hour or slightly more or less depending on the dish you use.

I used a seriously deep dish, so I went for an hour and 20 minutes.  Don’t overcook, it should be extremely wobbly when you take it out, but not liquid.  I let it cool on the counter for a just a bit before placing in the refrigerator.  You MUST refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to two days before serving.  Remove from fridge an hour before serving.  Run a knife around the edges and flip upside-down onto your favorite platter (place platter face-down over dish containing the flan and then flip). If all the caramel doesn’t come out, set your burner on medium-low and place your glass dish right on top.   I liked spooning a serious amount of caramel onto each plate. Enjoy with coffee and good friends. Thanks, Genevieve!

 

Ancho Pork, Kabocha and Hominy Stew

This recipe turned out even better than I could have imagined. I took the base of it from Cooking Light magazine and turned it up a bit while keeping things healthy. It's that good kind of spicy that makes your nose run and your belly warm. If you run into trouble finding a kabocha squash, sweet potatoes would be a great substitute. Try your local Asian market before you give up. While I might have recommend this for a cold day, I will admit that we enjoyed this on an insanely hot Minnesota summer evening. Make this stew!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, fat trimmed off and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups (one carton) of fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 large can of hominy (28 oz)
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, don't drain them!
3 cups chopped kabocha squash

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; set 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture aside. Add pork to remaining spice mixture in bowl, tossing well to coat.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove pork from pan and set aside. You will automatically be in love with this dish at this point because it makes your kitchen smell like Chipotle, not the spice, but the restaurant with giant burritos. Ooooh yeah!

Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to pan. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Return pork to pan. Toss in your reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture, broth, kabocha, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. I recommend throwing in the hominy in the last few minutes of cooking so it retains its shape and keeps from turning into mush. When it was time to serve, I remembered the cilantro growing in the back yard, so I snipped a bit and sprinkled in each bowl.

 

You can enjoy this stew right away, but I found that as a day or even two passed, the flavor got more intensely delicious.  This is a recipe I will keep in my back pocket to use over and over again!