Mean Chefs Espresso Flan Recipes

ESPRESSO FLAN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolks. While whisking add the sugar slowly until fully dissolved. Add vanilla, heavy cream, milk, and salt and continue to whisk. In order to get rid of air bubbles in mixture, transfer to large bowl through a fine strainer.
• In the bottom of 6 (1/2 cup) ramekins (small ceramic custard cups), place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of caramel. When all 6 ramekins have caramel at the bottom, brush each bottom and side with melted butter to secure flan and yet allow it to be removed easily. Fill each ramekin with the flan mixture, SLOWLY to avoid air bubbles, until about 2/3 full.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place almost full ramekins in shallow baking pan and then fill the pan with boiling water. The hot water bath will allow the flan cups to cook evenly in the oven. Right before placing pan in oven, top each ramekin with a tablespoon of hot espresso. Bake for 40 minutes.
• When removing pan from oven, allow the ramekins to remain cooling in their original water bath, overnight if necessary.
• Before serving, place ramekins in another shallow pan of warm water to loosen the custard. Run a thin knife around the inside edge of cup to further loosen, place a plate on top of ramekin and flip onto plate to serve.
• In preheated saucepan over medium heat, pour in water and bring to boil. Add sugar and stir until caramel brown (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 2 to 3 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S CHEESECAKE FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Rub the insides of four 5 1/2-ounce ramekins with oil.
• Melt 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, without stirring, in a skillet over medium heat. Swirl the skillet occasionally until sugar caramelizes to an amber color. Quickly pour caramel into each ramekin to cover the bottoms. Place ramekins in a baking dish.
• Combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, vanilla extract, salt, and eggs in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
• Heat 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk until almost simmering. Stir in sugar and pour into the cream cheese mixture.
• Ladle mixture into the ramekins. Fill the baking dish with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
• Bake in the preheated oven until custard is just barely set, 45 to 60 minutes. When shaken, custard should jiggle as one mass. Remove ramekins from baking dish and let cool to room temperature.
• Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and spread some of the mixture over each flan. Refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Run a knife along the edge of each chilled flan and invert onto a plate. Drizzle any remaining caramel on top.

FLAN DE QUESO (CREAM CHEESE FLAN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fill a large oven-safe pot with water to 1 inch; bring to a boil.
• Place sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla extract in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Place sugar in an even layer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until edges start to brown, about 1 minute; drag sugar into the center with a spatula once the edges start to brown. Continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until caramel is an even golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Pour caramel into a 9-inch flan mold or baking pan; swirl so that caramel reaches 1 inch up the sides. Pour condensed milk mixture on top. Place mold in the pot of boiling water.
• Bake flan in the preheated oven until a damp table knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Chill flan in the refrigerator until firm, 2 to 3 hours. Invert onto a serving plate so that caramel is on top.

MEAN CHEF'S ESPRESSO FLAN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolks.
• While whisking add the sugar slowly until fully dissolved.
• Add vanilla, heavy cream, milk, and salt and continue to whisk.
• In order to get rid of air bubbles in mixture, transfer to large bowl through a fine strainer.
• In the bottom of 6 (1/2 cup) ramekins (small ceramic custard cups), place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of caramel.
• When all 6 ramekins have caramel at the bottom, brush each bottom and side with melted butter to secure flan and yet allow it to be removed easily.
• Fill each ramekin with the flan mixture, SLOWLY to avoid air bubbles, until about 2/3 full.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place almost full ramekins in shallow baking pan and then fill the pan with boiling water.
• The hot water bath will allow the flan cups to cook evenly in the oven.
• Right before placing pan in oven, top each ramekin with a tablespoon of hot espresso.
• Bake for 40 minutes.
• When removing pan from oven, allow the ramekins to remain cooling in their original water bath.
• Ramekins can be covered and refrigerated overnight if necessary.
• Before serving, place ramekins in another shallow pan of warm water to loosen the custard.
• Run a thin knife around the inside edge of cup to further loosen, place a plate on top of ramekin and flip onto plate to serve.
• For the Caramel: In preheated saucepan over medium heat, pour in water and bring to boil.
• Add sugar and stir until caramel brown (about 4 minutes).
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 2 to 3 minutes.

MEAN CHEF'S SWEET TART DOUGH

Steps:

• Process dry ingredients in cuisinart.
• Cube butter and add.
• Pulse until cornmeal consistency.
• Add cream and egg yolk.
• Process until dough just comes together.
• You may need to add a touch more cream.

MEAN CHEF'S FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Pour oil in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to reach halfway up the sides of the pan.
• Heat to 325 degrees F, use a deep fry thermometer to determine this.
• While the oil is heating, peel the potatoes and push through a French fry cutter to form uniform sticks.
• As you go, place the cut potatoes in a bowl of ice water to release some of the starch and to keep them from browning.
• Dry the potato strips thoroughly, this will keep the oil from splattering.
• Fry the potatoes in batches so the pan isn't crowded and the oil temperature does not plummet.
• Cook for 3 minutes until they are soft but not browned.
• Remove the potatoes with a long-handled metal strainer and drain on brown paper bags.
• Bring oil temperature up to 375 degrees F.
• Return the par-fried potatoes to the oil in batches and cook a second time for 4 minutes until golden and crispy.
• Drain on fresh brown paper bags then place in a serving bowl lined with paper towels.
• Salt and serve immediately.

MEAN CHEF'S MEXICAN CREMA

Steps:

• Whisk the cream and the buttermilk together in a bowl.
• Cover and set in a warm place (a gas oven with just the heat from the pilot light is fine) overnight.
• Refrigerate for overnight.
• Crema may be kept in the refrigerator for as long as a week.

PRESSURE-COOKER ESPRESSO AND TOASTED ALMOND FLAN

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, stir the eggs, using a wire whisk. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, followed by the whole milk, 3/4 cup (175 ml) of the brewed espresso, the extracts and the espresso salt. Whisk until all of the ingredients are well-blended, without creating bubbles, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• To a round 1-quart (946-ml) aluminum flan mold or pan, add the sugar and the remaining tablespoon (15 ml) of brewed espresso and place on the burner. Turn the heat to high and begin caramelizing the sugar, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-high as soon as it starts to melt, using a wooden spoon or medium silicone spatula, 2 to 5 minutes, until the sugar is completely melted and a beautiful golden Cognac color.
• Turn off and remove the mold immediately from the heat. Working fast, coat the entire mold with the melted sugar, rotating it in a controlled circular motion. If you are not experienced in handling extremely hot caramel, leave the mold on your counter and quickly coat with a pastry brush or a small silicone spatula. It is about 330°F (165°C) at this point. Set aside and let sit until the caramel sets, about 1 minute. Pour the custard mixture into the flan mold or pan, using a medium-mesh hand strainer to collect the egg embryo. This last step here is not entirely necessary.
• Add enough water to the cooker to cover the mold halfway. Close the mold or cover your pan with aluminum foil and gently place in the middle of the cooker. Close the lid.
• Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Set to high pressure (15 PSI) and set the timer for 16 minutes. Cook over high heat until the pressure point is reached, about 11 minutes, then turn off the heat but do not remove the cooker from the stove. The residual heat will finish cooking it. Allow the pressure to release on its own for the remaining 5 to 6 minutes.
• Electric Pressure Cooker: Set to high pressure (10-12 PSI) and 16 minutes. When done, cancel cooking. Allow the pressure to release on its own (natural-release).
• When all of the pressure is out, open the cooker and gently remove the mold, using silicone gloves. Do not unmold. Chill the flan for at least 5 hours, giving it enough time to set.
• Remove the flan from the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving. To unmold, open the flan mold and loosen the sides, using a butter knife. Place a large plate on top of the mold and gently but quickly flip upside down. Allow all of the liquid caramel to drizzle all over the flan. Garnish with almonds and ground espresso.

FLAN MEXICANO (MEXICAN FLAN)

Steps:

• Place sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and turns a golden amber color, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully once syrup begins to change color, because it burns easily. Carefully pour the melted sugar syrup into a flan mold. Let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pour whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, egg yolks, orange juice, orange peel, vanilla extract, and cornstarch into a blender, and blend for a minute or so, until the mixture is smooth. Pour in the cream, and pulse several times to incorporate the cream. Pour the mixture over the cooled caramel syrup in the flan mold.
• Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the flan mold on the towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the center of the flan is set but still slightly jiggly when moved, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let the flan cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. To serve, run a sharp paring knife around the inside of the mold to release the flan. Invert a plate on the mold, flip the mold over, and gently remove the mold to unmold the flan and reveal the syrupy caramel topping.

MEAN CHEF'SFLAN DE ALMENDRAS (ALMOND FLAN),

Steps:

• Use a 9 inch round baking pan.
• caramelize the sugar and water on low heat in a stainless steel saucepan.
• When the sugar turns golden, remove from heat and coat the baking pan bottom with the caramel.
• In a blender, mix the rest of the ingredients except the orange until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into the caramelized baking pan and place in a larger pan containing 1 inch of water.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour until top is set and golden.
• Remove pan from the water and allow to cool.
• Place a serving plate over pan and flip over.
• Remove the pan.
• Chill at least an hour before serving.
• Serve with the orange slices as a garnish.