Leche Flan (Carnival)

1 cup sugar

½ cup sugar (keep this one separate)

6 eggs, large (at room temperature)

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

26 oz evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

1 8-inch baking dish

1 baking tray with high sides

mixer

Everybody needs a warm-up. Preheat the oven to 325° F and maybe do a few light stretches.

Pour one cup of sugar into a warm, dry pan over medium heat. Constantly stir the sugar. Soon it will turn a deep golden color and caramelize.

Quickly pour the liquid sugar into the baking dish. It should cover the entire base of the baking dish before it cools.

Break the eggs and combine them together in a mixer until they look frothy and well-mixed.

Keep mixing the eggs, but now slowly pour in the condensed milk. Keep mixing as you add the evaporated milk. Then slowly mix in the vanilla and the remaining sugar (a half-cup).

Pour the mixture, which should be custard-like, into your caramel-lined baking dish. Place the baking dish on the baking tray.

Using an oven mitt, pull out the oven rack and place the tray on the rack and the dish on the tray. Fill the baking tray with about an inch of hot water, so that the baking dish is surrounded with water, but not floating. Push the tray back into the oven and close the door.

Bake the flan for 45 minutes and check with a knife, just to the side of the center. If the knife comes out clean, it’s ready. If not, give it a few more minutes to cook.

Once it’s done, remove the flan from the oven and let it cool in the baking tray. Once it reaches room temperature, place the whole baking dish in the refrigerator — overnight if you can, but for at least one hour.

When you’re ready to serve, place a serving dish over the flan and turn the whole thing over so that the flan falls onto the serving dish. The caramel sauce will flow over the top of the custard.

Enjoy immediately and completely. You can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 48 hours… but why would you have leftovers?