Flan de Huevo en Olla Exprés
(flahn deh weh-voh)
El Domingo y La Sobremesa: Sunday Rituals & The Lingering Table
Sunday at three p.m., the lunch plates clear, the espresso pours, and you know the hiss of the stainless-steel olla exprés rattling on the stove. Skip the heavy condensed milk. This is the pastoral original: just fresh milk, eggs, sugar, and a hit of lemon. A metal flanera sits locked inside the electric pressure cooker, yielding the exact same smooth custard coaxed from a stovetop model. Release the steam, flip the tin fast, and let the dark amber caramel pool on the plate.
Before you start
Set up the pressure cooker.
Place a trivet inside the electric pressure cooker insert and pour in 1 1/2 cups of cold water.
Ingredients
- granulated white sugar1 cup
- cold water1 1/2 cup
- fresh lemon juice1/2 tsp
- whole milk2 cup
- fresh lemon peel1 wide strip
- eggs4 large
Method
- 01
Infuse the milk with lemon peel.
Gently warm the milk and lemon peel in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming, then remove from the heat, cover, and let it steep for 10 minutes before discarding the peel.
- 02
Make the caramel.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of cold water, and the lemon juice over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally without stirring until it reaches a deep, dark amber color.
- 03
Coat the pan.
Working very quickly, pour the hot caramel into a 7-inch metal cake pan or traditional flanera, swirling to coat the bottom evenly, and set aside to harden.
- 04
Blend and strain the custard.
Whisk the eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl until completely smooth, slowly stream in the warm infused milk while whisking constantly, then pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer directly into the caramel-lined pan.
- 05
Pressure cook the flan.
Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil, lower it onto the trivet in the pressure cooker, secure the lid, ensure the valve is sealed, and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes.
- 06
Allow a natural pressure release.
When the cycle finishes, let the pot sit completely untouched for at least 15 minutes; this slow, residual heat ensures a silky texture without rubbery bubbles.
- 07
Chill and unmold.
Carefully remove the pan, let it cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, then run a thin knife around the edge and swiftly invert onto a rimmed plate to serve.
Notes
Do not substitute the dairy.
Traditional Spanish flan relies strictly on the clean flavor and delicate structure of fresh whole milk; sweetened condensed milk will yield a dense, historically inaccurate texture.
Watch the caramel closely.
The sugar goes from perfectly mahogany to burnt in a matter of seconds; pull it off the heat the exact moment it reaches the color of an old copper penny.
From Cook Spanish in America.