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250g crushed palm sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (98g) finely
shredded unsweetened dried coconut
¾ cup (150g) sugar
¼ cup (58g) evaporated milk
4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon fleur de sel or Maldon
salt, optional
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Method:
Put the palm sugar, lemon juice and ¼
cup water into a small saucepan, set over medium-high heat and cook,
stirring to dissolve the the sugar if necessary until the mixture
becomes dark brown and registers 160°C on a candy thermometer, about
12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ teaspoon of the
salt. Carefully divide the caramel among twelve 4-oz ramekins.
Put the milk, coconut milk, coconut, sugar and the remaining ½ teaspoon
salt into a medium saucepan, set over medium heat and warm, stirring
occasionally, until bubbles begin to form around the edges.
Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Add the
evaporated milk to the coconut mixture. Whisk the eggs and egg
yolks in a large mixing bowl until the yolks are broken, then add the
milk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on
the coconut to extract as much liquid as possible. Set the
mixture in a larger bowl filled with ice and water and chill
completely until cold. Divide the coconut mixture among the
prepared ramekins and put in a deep baking dish or roasting pan.
Carefully pour enough hot water into the pan, without spilling any
into the ramekins, to reach halfway up the ramekins. Bake until
the flan is just set, about 45 minutes - the sides should be firm but
the center still quite jiggly. Cool completely in the pan.
Serve the flan once it has cooled or, for even better results, cover
and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Invert the flans onto
serving plates. If the flan seems stuck, run a thin-bladed knife
around the edges of each ramekin, and then invert. Sprinkle each
flan with fleur de sel, if desired. If you cannot find palm
sugar for the caramel, substitute white sugar. Simply bring it
to a dark caramel before dividing it among the ramekins. This
flan is best when cooled completely at room temperature, then
refrigerated for at least 4 hours and brought back to room temperature
before serving. This allows the flavors to develop more fully
and causes the custard to become so delicate it just melts in your
mouth. Rest assured, though, that the flan is also delicious
when served right away.
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