The day of the margarita is quickly approaching.
Yes, Cinco de Mayo is upon us.
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that, thanks to clever marketing from tequila and beer companies, is known as Mexico’s Independence day. Historians of Mexican culture probably cringe on May 5th, wanting to inform everyone within earshot of the historical error, but don’t want to appear as a know-it-all killjoy.
So, here I am, your killjoy for the day. Cinco de Mayo is not – I repeat, NOT – Mexico’s Independence Day, but rather, a celebration of the Mexican Army’s victory over the French, yes, FRENCH who were occupying Mexico in 1862. The story of this day, historically known as Batalla de Puebla, is a fascinating read.
Don’t get me wrong, Cinco de Mayo is great fun. We make fantastic drinks, a hearty meal of carnitas, black beans and grilled onions, or eat out at one of the plentiful Mexican restaurants in town.
I love to think of Cinco de Mayo as great day to remember our friends to the south and their amazing, colorful culture filled with art, music, family and incredible cuisine.
So today, I share with you my favorite flan recipe.
Flan
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In heavy saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar and water, swirl the pan occasional until the sugar reaches a caramel color. Pour caramel into a slightly warmed 9″ round custard dish, or individual ramekins. Tilt the dish(s) to coat the bottom completely with the caramel. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, and yolks. Whisk in the milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Pour over the caramelized sugar.
Set the dish in a larger pan (we are going to make a water bath to cook our custard). Fill the pan halfway up the side of the custard dish with hot water. I find that doing this is easier if I have the pan already in the oven, that way, I do not worry about water getting into my custard.
Cover the flan with foil, and bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and take the flan out of the water bath to cool. Chill thoroughly, six hours to overnight. Loosen the side of the flan with knife. Invert onto serving plato with a rim.
Enjoy!
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she and her family moved to Redding 10 years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and husband Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2009 Andrea R. Charroin. Visit her blog at bakerslove.typepad.com