Crème Caramel | Caramel Custard

The famed classic amongst desserts, crème caramel, known also as caramel custard, caramel pudding or flan, is a favourite in many parts of India including Goa, and we believe it is so due to the Portuguese leaving behind the European influence. There are a number of recipes on how to make this smooth, silky, gelatinous pudding and here's the one handed to me by my sister that I've used and tested for decades and which has, always, proved a success.

      

           

This is a custard-based dessert; hence, it relies on eggs to provide the final firmness it needs. I would recommend refrigerating the pudding for a minimum of 3 hours to further help this. 

The caramel is the undisputed hero in this dessert. If you need details on caramelization do read my blog post and watch my video here.

INGREDIENTS

For the caramel:

• 8 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon water

For the custard:

• 500 ml milk
• 8 tablespoons sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• A pinch of salt

For this recipe, I have used a 6-inch diameter metal dish as a mould and have prepared the caramel in the same.

METHOD

Prepare the caramel:      

                                                                             

1. Combine the sugar and the water in a mould or a saucepan on a medium flame. This is a 'wet' caramel but with minimal water.                                                               

                 

                                             

2. In the initial stages, leave the sugar undisturbed. When it starts to colour in some areas, give the dish (mould or saucepan) a shake or a swirl. This will need to be done frequently to avoid burning the sugar. Avoid using a spoon/spatula to stir this. 

3. Allow the caramel to acquire a deep golden brown (or deep amber) and then turn off the heat. This could take about 6-8 minutes.

4. Swirl the syrup in the mould to coat its walls evenly. If you are using a saucepan, pour the caramel into the mould soon after you turn off the heat.                          

                                                  

5. Set it aside to cool and harden.

Prepare the custard:  

                    

1. Heat the milk and bring it to a boil. Then turn off the heat and stir in the sugar.  

                                                     

2. The custard doesn't take long to prepare, so make ready the cookware before proceeding to the next step. Heat a cup and a half of water in a pressure cooker without its lid. Place a metal stand in its centre.   

                             

3. In a bowl, crack 4 whole eggs. Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence and a pinch of salt and whisk well. The essence masks the not-so-agreeable smell of the eggs, while the salt results in more balanced flavours, thus, enhancing taste.      

                                                                                                             

4. Add the egg mixture to the hot milk whisking the milk constantly with rapidity. You could temper the eggs (i.e. whisking in a little of the hot milk to the egg mixture to raise its temperature and then adding the rest of the hot milk) if you're more comfortable with that technique. 

                                                                

Cooking, Setting and Serving the Pudding:

1. Pour the custard into the prepared mould; cover it and place it in the pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 9 whistles, on medium-high flame. it should only take 6 to 8 minutes.

                                                                                                                                                               

2. Once the pressure has normalized, uncover the mould and let it cool to room temperature. The pudding will respond with a 'jiggle'; you'd do well to be gentle.

                                                               

3. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours to allow for better firmness. 

4. Release the sides (the pudding usually shrinks away from the walls when chilled) and then flip it onto a serving dish (be quick to prevent any caramel spills!)

                                 

Bon appétit!