The Catalan TableParisian Flan
A smooth and creamy Parisian flan with a crispy shortcrust pastry base, delicately brushed with butter and a touch of water.
Ingredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- shortcrust pastry
- 100 gbutter
- 30 mlwater
- 20 gpowdered sugar
- 180 gall-purpose flour
- 20 galmond flour
- 40 gsmall egg yolks
- 3 gsalt
- 1 ROUND springform PAN with removable base 18 cm Ø and 5 cm = 1330 cm3
- pastry cream
- 325 mlwhole milk
- 200 mlliquid cream 35% fat
- 130 mlmineral or filtered water
- 1 beinavanilla
- 20 gliquid vanilla
- 150 gduck eggs
- 60 gegg yolks
- 160 gsugar
- 60 gcornstarch - can be Maizena - or also potato starch
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Approx.)
Calories
1049 kcal
Protein
19 g
Fat
48 g
Carbohydrates
119 g
Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.
Step-by-step Guide
Preparation
- When the dough is homogeneous, gradually add the sifted flour while continuing to mix.
- Mix again until a ball is formed, and stop immediately to avoid over-kneading.
- Knead it lightly by stretching it in three different directions with the palm of your hand. Twist the dough back onto itself to form a ball and repeat the operation 3 or 4 times to ensure the dough is homogeneous.
- Finally, shape into a uniform ball and wrap it with plastic wrap, making sure it is well sealed.
- Store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. This resting time in the fridge is necessary for it to then roll out well and maintain its shape.
- Line the mold with parchment paper, preferably using a mold with a removable bottom to facilitate the removal of the cake.
- Grease the mold with a thin layer of butter to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Take the dough out of the fridge 1 hour in advance to bring it to room temperature before rolling it out.
- After the hour, roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin until you obtain a layer approximately 3 mm thick evenly.
- Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to the mold, ensuring it completely covers the bottom and sides.
- Remove the excess dough protruding from the edges with a knife. Note: We can also line just the bottom of the mold if only a base is needed.
- Place the mold in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This freezing will help prevent the dough from becoming soggy from the cream before it begins to bake.
Prepare the cream
- Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Put them in a saucepan along with the filtered water and milk. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil.
- Turn off the heat and let the vanilla infuse for about 10 minutes, until the milk is warm.
- In a large bowl, place the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and lump-free.
- Pour half of the warm milk over the bowl of egg yolks, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Finish pouring in the rest of the milk, continuing to stir to ensure the mixture is uniform.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any possible lumps and achieve a smooth texture.
- Return it to the saucepan and heat it over high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the cream thickens and reaches a consistency between custard and pastry cream, approximately 30 seconds after it begins to boil.
- Remove from the heat and transfer the cream to a clean bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, pressing it gently to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Once the cream is cooled, place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 170 ºC (thermostat 6) with the fan on to ensure even cooking.
- Pour the cream filling over the frozen shortcrust pastry base.
- Bake at 170ºC for 1 hour, or until the surface of the cream is golden to your liking.
- Allow the pie to cool in the mold until it reaches room temperature, then place it in the refrigerator to complete the cooling process.
- Serve cold, preferably the next day. To make a Catalan-style burnt cream pie, sprinkle a layer of white sugar on top and caramelize it with a kitchen torch just before serving. Note: Recipe by Christophe Michalak, world pastry champion in 2005.
Recommendations & Tricks
- The recipe by Thierry Marx, renowned chef with two Michelin stars, stands out for its exquisite balance of flavors and textures.
- For a simpler version, you can choose to fill the mold directly with the cream, skipping the shortcrust pastry. This reduces the preparation time and highlights the cream more.
- The recipe by Christophe Michalak, world pastry champion in 2005, offers an alternative with a more elaborate shortcrust pastry that provides a crispy texture to the flan.
- If you want a lighter base, you can line only the bottom of the mold. This allows for greater exposure and caramelization of the cream during baking.
- When preparing the shortcrust pastry, ensure not to overwork the dough once the flour is added, to avoid developing gluten and resulting in a tough texture.
- Use cold butter cut into small cubes to quickly add to the flour. This helps create a flakier texture in the shortcrust pastry.
- The combination of almond powder in the shortcrust pastry adds a touch of flavor and a richer texture, highlighting the flavors of the cream in the flan.
- Egg yolks add a special richness to the cream's texture. Use fresh eggs and incorporate them slowly into the mixture to prevent lump formation.