Bolivian Flan
Flan to South American countries is like ice cream to the United States, not that South Americans are averse to ice cream. Bolivia claims Flan as a Bolivian dessert, as does Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Brazil and even Spain, and even earlier, Rome! All versions are similar yet each with varying amounts of sugar, eggs, milk/cream and some silkier in texture, than others. Then there’s the caramel sauce to make sure we want to keep the recipe up front in our recipes collections.
In fact, you might consider flan (or custard as Americans and Brits, call it, or Creme Caramel via the French) is just ice cream in solid baked form!
Regardless, setting aside debate just for the sake of it, this Bolivian version with the fresh berries on top is easily prepared. Just a few simple ingredients create such a lovely dessert with a silky pleasing mouth feel.
Why Bolivian? Why not? As I prepared saltenya (a Bolivian indigenous empanada,) it seemed only right to add this Bolivian specialli to the meal, with a nod to their right to claim it as much as Mexico!
Leche Asada (Bolivian Flan):
1/2 cup of granulated sugar for the caramel
2/3 cups of heavy cream
2/3 cups of milk, preferably whole milk
4 eggs
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 vanilla pod, scraped, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Fresh berries for garnish if desired
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set out 4 ramekins.
-Melt sugar in a medium frying pan on medium heat. Do not stir but swirl the pan occasionally until the sugar crystals have all melted and the caramel turns the color of amber. Then pour equal amounts into each of the four ramekins. Swirl each ramekin so the caramel covers the bottom and partwise up the sides of each ramekin. You need to be fast as the caramel will harden quickly.
-Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk without incorporating too much air into it. Pour equal amounts into each prepared ramekin and bake for about 40 minutes in a bain marie (water bath of hot water that reaches up halfway on the ramekins.) Leave in the turned-off oven for about another half hour, with a hotpad placed in the ovendoor to keep it slightly ajar, then bring flans to room temperature before finally transferring to the fridge for at least 2 hours or until well chilled. The longer the flans are chilled, the easier it is to unmold them.
-Run a knife around the edges of the ramekins and invert each onto a small plate, allowing the liquid caramel sauce to run over the flan and onto the plate, scraping out gently with a spoon if necessary. The flans can also be served right in the ramekin, though the effect of serving them turned out with the caramel on the top is prettier.
-Garnish with fresh berries, such as sliced strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Serve well chilled.
-Makes 4 flans.
