Ackee Pimento Flan

Chantal

Unique take on flan with a beautiful silky texture featuring two distinctly Jamaican ingredients

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Course Dessert

Cuisine caribbean

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

For the flan:

1 can Condensed Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
12 oz Parboiled Ackee (about 2 cups or 1 can drained)
3 eggs
2 yolks
Pinch salt
2 tbsp Whole pimento Jamaican allspice
2 tbsps Pimento liqueur optional (bourbon, rum or coffee liquor would be great substitutes)
Splash vanilla optional

For the caramel:

3/4 cup Granulated sugar
1/4 cup Water

Tools you’ll need:

9 x5-inch Loaf pan or whatever you prefer to bake in
A roasting pan large enough to fit the loaf pan with water filled around its sides

Instructions

Steep the evaporated milk:

Combine the evaporated milk and whole pimento grains in a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
Heat till it just comes to a boil then turn off and leave covered to steep for 15 to 30 minutes

Meanwhile, make the caramel:

Mix sugar and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
Place over medium heat and cook swirling the pan a bit as necessary till all the sugar has dissolved.
Once the sugar dissolves don’t agitate the pan. Keep the loaf pan nearby.
The mixture will start to bubble and change colour, remove it from the heat and pour into the pan once a nice amber caramel is achieved. (You can make your caramel darker in colour if preferred but remember that darker caramel is more bitter in taste)
Set aside.

Prepare the custard:

Preheat oven to 325F and set some water to boil.
Strain the evaporated milk into the jar of a blender.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend till completely smooth
Strain into the loaf pan over the prepared caramel (it would have hardened)
Place load pan in roasting pan and place on middle rack in oven. Pour the hot water into the roasting pan to come up half way up the sides of the loaf pan.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
When done the edges will be set but the centre will jiggle slightly when gently shook.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for about an hour at room temperature*
Chill overnight or till completely cold.

To serve:

Sit the loaf pan in boiling water briefly to remelt the caramel (I like to use the same roasting pan I did for baking)
Place a plate on top of the pan and invert.
Cut into desired slices and serve.
Enjoy!

Notes

Tip: at this point, I usually gently run a knife around the edges of the flan to loosen it from the sides of the pan. I do this for cheesecakes or any custard that I’ll be de-molding. Because they shrink away from the sides of the pan as they cool, if the custard sticks to the pan at one point or another, there may be little tears or cracks, running the knife around the edge helps to prevent this.