Tangerine Flan Food

TANGERINE-HONEY FLAN WITH GRAPEFRUIT SEGMENTS

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, swirling pan occasionally, about 7 minutes. Pour caramel syrup into 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides; quickly rotate pan so syrup covers bottom.
• Whisk eggs, yolks, honey, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Bring cream, condensed milk, and tangerine peel to simmer in medium saucepan. Slowly whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture. Whisk in tangerine juice. Strain custard into caramel-lined pan. Place pan into 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
• Bake flan until set in center when cake pan is slightly moved, about 40 minutes. Remove from water; cool 30 minutes. Chill flan uncovered until very cold and firm, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
• Cut all peel and pith from each grapefruit. Working over medium bowl, cut between membranes, releasing segments. Chill until ready to use.
• Cut around flan in pan. Place plate on top of pan and invert, releasing flan. Cut into wedges; serve with grapefruit.

CLASSIC FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a small bowl of cold water and a pastry brush near the stove top. Place a 9-inch cake pan in a large roasting pan. Bring a large kettle or pot of water to a boil.
• Make the caramel: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, mix sugar and 3 tablespoons water, stirring to combine. Do not stir again. Cook, washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, or cover with a tight-fitting lid, to prevent crystals from forming, until caramel is amber, about 8 minutes, swirling pan to color evenly. Pour into cake pan, swirling to coat bottom evenly.
• Make the custard: In a small saucepan, heat milk with 1/2 cup sugar over medium just until mixture starts to steam and bubble around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes (do not let it boil).
• Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add ladle of hot milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. (This is called tempering, and it prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of milk mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or a bowl (to remove any cooked bits of egg). Stir in vanilla.
• Pour custard into cake pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to pan to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until custard is just set (it should tremble slightly in center when shaken), about 50 minutes.
• Remove roasting pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove pan from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days). To unmold, run a sharp knife around the flan, and place a rimmed serving plate upside down over the top. Invert, and gently lift pan to remove. Serve immediately.

TANGERINE FLAN

Steps:

• Set a rack in the center of the oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees. Have 6 (4-ounce) ramekins ready. Make the caramel: Combine sugar and tangerine juice in a small skillet or saucepan. Set over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, and bring to a simmer.
• Simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Continue simmering until mixture begins to caramelize and brown, stirring or swirling the pan, 5 to 6 minutes more. Let the caramel go as dark as possible without burning, to a deep brown color, then carefully pour a bit in the bottom of each ramekin, dividing the hot caramel among them evenly. Set ramekins aside at room temperature.
• Make the custard: Put the half-and half and sugar in a medium saucepan, and set over medium-high heat. Add bay leaves, rosemary (if using) and vanilla. Bring to just under a simmer, then turn off heat. Stir to dissolve sugar.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and tangerine juice. Whisk in the hot half-and-half mixture a little at a time.
• Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Set ramekins in a deep baking dish. Fill each ramekin with 1/2 cup of the strained mixture.
• Place baking dish on middle rack in the oven. Add hot tap water to baking dish so it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until custards set, 25 to 30 minutes. Start checking at 15 minutes. When done, custards should look opaque and just a little wiggly. Insert a paring knife into the center of the flan to test. The knife should come out clean.
• Carefully remove ramekins from water bath and let cool to room temperature. Wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve, run a small knife around the inside edge of each ramekin to loosen the flan. Invert a dessert plate over the ramekin, then flip plate while securing ramekin. Tap or shake ramekin, lift from plate and the flan will release. Spoon any remaining caramel around flan. Garnish with tangerine segments, if desired.