Flan is a very popular dessert all over the world.
Flan is a term that derives from a French word, in turn coming from the Old High German flado (which can be translated as "cake" ). Flan is a gastronomic preparation whose main ingredients are sugar , milk and egg .
Cooking and variations
The flan mixture is placed in a bain-marie to set: that is, it is placed in a container that, in turn, is placed inside another containing boiling water. The usual thing is that the mold where the flan is made is previously covered with caramel ( sugar that first melts and then hardens).
It is important to mention that other ingredients can be added to the flan, such as orange juice , chocolate or vanilla essence . In some cases flour is also added.
In addition to the different types of flan, their accompaniments also vary. In Argentina , for example, it is common to eat flan with dulce de leche . Another option is to accompany it with chantilly cream (whipped cream - whipped cream - with vanilla and sugar).
vegan flan
At first glance, it seems that egg and milk are essential ingredients in flan. However, as with most recipes, there are vegan alternatives that promise very similar results, both in consistency and flavor. Below we will see how to prepare a vanilla flan without any product of animal origin , whose final appearance is perfectly comparable to that of the traditional recipe .
Let's start by listing the ingredients necessary for a flan with up to five servings:
* soy drink, half a liter;
* chickpea flour, four tablespoons;
* cornstarch, four small tablespoons;
* agar agar, a small spoonful;
* granulated sugar, a quarter cup;
* vegetable margarine, two tablespoons;
* vanilla essence;
* cinnamon powder;
* lemon peel;
* water.
First of all we must put the sugar and cornstarch in a container and mix them. Separately, add the chickpea flour to half a cup of water, stir well and then add the sugar and cornstarch. It's time to mix everything until the result is a very thick substance . At the same time, we bring the soy drink with the lemon peel and vanilla essence to the heat in a small pot. When it reaches a boil, add the previous mixture and cook for about five minutes, stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom or burn.
When it has cooked well, remove the mixture, add the margarine, stir and add the agar agar, which will help thicken the flan. On the other hand, we prepare the caramel, putting the sugar with a little water in a pot and cooking over medium heat for three minutes. The caramel should be placed under the flan mixture . We let it reach room temperature and finally we take it to the refrigerator, where it must remain for at least two hours before we can serve it with the desired accompaniment.
History of flan
The origins of flan are remote. It is believed that similar sweets were already made in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire , for example. The characteristic that distinguishes flan beyond its varieties is its somewhat gelatinous texture .
An individual flan with raspberries
Homemade or industrial
Although it is common to prepare homemade flan , several companies make flan on an industrial level and sell it packaged. In these cases they are usually individual flans. On the other hand, even powdered custard mixes are sold.
salty flan
It should be noted that there are also salty flans . In this group we can mention dishes such as carrot flan , spinach flan and zucchini flan , among others.