Portuguese Tea Flan
Portuguese flan, or pudim, is a riff on a classic dessert. For this version, milk is infused with smoky, strong flavored tea, such as Lapsang souchong, and is then added to eggs and sugar to make an unusual, elegant dessert.
Equipment
- 1 1/2-quart flan mold or metal baking dish, such as an 8-inch square cake pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons strong-flavored tea leaves, such as Lapsang souchong
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Position a rack on the middle of the oven.
- Fill a kettle with water to bring to a boil. Combine the milk and tea leaves in a small saucepan and bring to the merest simmer over medium-low heat. Remove the pan from heat and allow the milk to steep until deeply infused, about 10 minutes.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl, discard the tea leaves, and let the milk cool until just warm.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, warm 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water, without stirring, until the sugar melts and begins to color a bit. Resist the urge to stir; instead, swirl the pan occasionally. Continue cooking the mixture until it's a dark maple-syrup brown and gives off a rich aroma of caramel, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Carefully pour the caramel into a 1 1/2-quart flan mold or metal baking dish, such as an 8-inch square cake pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom and sides. (Avoid using a ceramic casserole or a glass baking dish. It will take much longer for the flan to cook, as these types of materials don't don't conduct heat as well as metal.)
- Stir the eggs, the yolk, and the remaining 1 cup of sugar with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Slowly tip in the infused milk, stirring all the while. Pour the mixture into flan mold and set the mold in a small roasting pan. Place the whole contraption on the oven rack and pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the mold.
- Bake the tea flan until set around edges but slightly jiggly in middle, 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on your oven and the size and depth of the mold. Remove the mold from water bath and place it on a work surface to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours.
- If the flan hasn't released from the sides of the mold, run a sharp knife around the pan. To serve, place a deep plate on top and flip. Gingerly slip off the mold. Originally published April 18, 2009.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 78mg | Sugar: 53g