Flan Recipe

As an amateur, when I was living in the French Alps, I would venture up into the high mountains, riding the passes the Tour de France peloton had ascended. I would spend the day on my bike, stopping at bakeries to buy food for fuel. On easier days, the bakeries along the shores of Lac Leman were the destination. Often, I would buy a Flan, an egg and milk-based tart. Every bakery made them, and I soon discovered which made the best ones. Recently, our good friend, Chris Mathias, who is now working as a chef in France, sent us a recipe for his own Flan, which he’s been making at the restaurant.

-Michael Barry

Pastry Ingredients:

• 250g flour
• 125g sugar
• 125g butter room temp
• 1 egg

• Mix all ingredients over low speed just until mixed .
• Plastic wrap and let rest for an hour or overnight in fridge .
• Before next step roll pastry and line à round pastry tray that has been buttered  and floured . There is no need to blind bake for this recipe . Pastry should ideally be about   3mm thick give or take.
• Let rest in fridge for for 30 mins at least before trimming edge.
• For final prep,add warm custard mix .

Custard Filling Ingredients and Instructions:

• 700ml whole milk
• 160g sugar
• Half vanilla bean
• Gently heat just to very low summer do not boil.
• Leave to steep while you mix
  • 40g cornstarch
  • 300g creme fraiche
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 whole egg
• Combine all these ingredients and slowly add warm milk mixture. When combined return to pot that you used to heat milk and cook over low heat with a wooden spoon or spatula until it reached the consistancy of custard. Strain through a fine strainer .
• Cook at 180 C in oven with low fan for 45 mins  (or 200 c for 45 mins with no fan)
• Let rest at room temp for a couple of hours.
• Best eaten same day but will hold in fridge for a day or two.