Corn Flan Recipes

CORN FLAN

Steps:

• Strip kernels from corn. Combine them with milk in a blender, and blend. (Mixture will not be perfectly smooth.) Pour into a saucepan, and heat gently until steam rises, about 5 minutes. Cover, and steep 10 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 300 degrees, and set a kettle of water to boil. Grease bottoms and sides of four 6-ounce ramekins with butter.
• Strain corn-milk mixture into a large bowl, and discard contents of strainer. Add salt to taste to the milk in the bowl. (Oversalt just a bit.) In a small bowl, beat eggs and yolk together, and add a little of the strained milk to warm. Pour the egg-milk mixture into the milk. Add spices, and pour into ramekins.
• Put ramekins in a deep roasting pan or an ovenproof skillet, and add boiling water about halfway up their sides. Bake about 20 minutes, until barely set (still quite jiggly in the middle). Leave flans in ramekins or remove them by inverting each over a plate about 15 minutes after they come out of the oven. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

CLASSIC FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a small bowl of cold water and a pastry brush near the stove top. Place a 9-inch cake pan in a large roasting pan. Bring a large kettle or pot of water to a boil.
• Make the caramel: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, mix sugar and 3 tablespoons water, stirring to combine. Do not stir again. Cook, washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, or cover with a tight-fitting lid, to prevent crystals from forming, until caramel is amber, about 8 minutes, swirling pan to color evenly. Pour into cake pan, swirling to coat bottom evenly.
• Make the custard: In a small saucepan, heat milk with 1/2 cup sugar over medium just until mixture starts to steam and bubble around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes (do not let it boil).
• Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add ladle of hot milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. (This is called tempering, and it prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of milk mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup or a bowl (to remove any cooked bits of egg). Stir in vanilla.
• Pour custard into cake pan. Place roasting pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to pan to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until custard is just set (it should tremble slightly in center when shaken), about 50 minutes.
• Remove roasting pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove pan from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days). To unmold, run a sharp knife around the flan, and place a rimmed serving plate upside down over the top. Invert, and gently lift pan to remove. Serve immediately.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the lard. Stir in the water. Mix to incorporate. The dough should be slightly wet. Form the dough into a smooth ball, cover with a towel and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Place a little water on the hands and form the dough into golf ball-size balls. Take 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap from a plastic bag and cut them to the shape of the surface of the tortilla press. Open the tortilla press and lay one piece of waxed paper on the press. Place the masa ball in the center. Place another piece of waxed paper over the masa ball. Gently close the press and press down, until the dough has spread to 6-inches in diameter.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle or a large nonstick skillet on high heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, hold a tortilla in your hand, carefully removing the wax paper on each side. Allow the tortilla to rest half on your hand, and half hanging down, and gently lay the tortilla down on to the hot skillet. Start working on pressing the next tortilla. Cook the tortilla on the hot pan for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. The tortilla should be lightly toasted and little air pockets forming.
• Heat 2-inches of canola oil in a heavy-bottomed medium skillet until it reaches 370 degrees F. Add the tortillas, 1 at a time and fry, turning once with tongs, until crispy, about 30 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and lightly season with salt.

CORN FLAN WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Simmer heavy cream with 1 cup of corn and caraway for 6 to 8 minutes. Puree in food processor and strain.
• Using egg scissors, remove the top of 12 brown eggs. In a bowl, whisk 4 eggs, slowly adding cream to the bowl while whisking. Reserve remaining eggs for another use. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rinse the inner shells of all 12 shells and remove any loose shell with your fingers. (If egg scissors aren't available, use serrated knife). Place eggshells back in original cardboard container (not styrofoam) and fill 2/3 of the way with egg and cream mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the eggs, in the cardboard container, in a baking pan with 1-inch of water. Cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Cut salmon slices into thin strips or julienne. Toss strips with chives, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Top each egg with the seasoned julienne salmon. Serve with an espresso spoon and a cocktail fork, in an eggcup or a bed of salt.

CORN FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Whisk together eggs, cream, and syrup in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and let stand 15 minutes.
• Spoon into a buttered 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan (preferably nonstick) and bake in middle of oven until puffed and set in center, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then invert flan onto a plate. Cut crosswise into 8 slices.

TENNESSEE CORN AND TRUFFLE FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside. If using frozen corn, make sure it is well-defrosted and drained.
• Warm a nonstick skillet over high heat and toss corn in to dry and toast slightly. In a bowl, combine cooked corn with 7 tablespoons melted butter, the eggs, cayenne and sour cream. Using a few swift strokes, add dry ingredients. Stir in cheese and shaved truffle, reserving just enough truffle to garnish flan before serving.
• Use remaining tablespoon butter to grease 8 6-ounce ramekins. Spoon mixture into ramekins, cover each with foil and place in a baking pan. Add boiling water to pan until it reaches halfway up ramekins. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving. Flan can be served, garnished with additional truffle slices, in ramekin or loosened and turned out on a plate.

CORN FLAN WITH SPICY SHRIMP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Coat six 4-oz flan molds with nonstick spray or olive oil.
• Blend corn, half and half and feta in a blender until almost smooth.
• Add the eggs, yolks, salt and pepper pulsing to combine.
• Place the flan dishes in a roasting pan and fill with corn mixture.
• Place the pan in the oven and pour hot water half-way up the sides of the flan dishes.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tip of a knife comes out clen.
• Remove flans from the water bath and cool 3 to 5 minutes before unmolding on serving plates.
• For the shrimp, combine the flour and seasonings in a bowl; add the shrimp and toss well to coat.
• In a large skillet, warm the oil and butter over medium-high heat, add the shrimp and cook just until browned on both sides but not cooked through; transfer to a plate.
• Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of pan.
• Simmer until reduced by half, approximately 2 to 4 minutes; add the broth and simmer an additional 2 to 4 minutes.
• Add shrimp back to pan and cook until firm and sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in butter and let melt; spoon the shrimp and sauce over unmolded flans; garnish with chopped chives.

SWEET CORN FLANS WITH TOMATO-CORN RELISH

Steps:

• Make flans:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook corn in a pot of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and cool.
• Cut off kernels with a sharp knife into a bowl, scraping ears. Reserve 3/4 cup for relish and purée remainder in a blender with milk until smooth. Force corn purée through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding skins.
• Whisk together eggs, salt, and cayenne until blended and whisk in corn purée.
• Pour flan mixture into lightly oiled ramekins and bake in a hot-water bath just until set, about 40 minutes.
• Remove ramekins from water bath and cool on a rack. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.
• Make relish:
• Stir together corn, tomatoes, onion, and basil. Stir in oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
• Run a thin knife around edge of each flan, then invert flans onto plates. Spoon relish over them.