The origin of the flan (custard in English) would be Anglo-Saxon and was formerly called "custard tart" during the Middle Ages. For France, we have to go back to the time of Henry IV of England when the flan was served at his coronation banquet in 1399. We do not have an exact date on which the first flans would have been prepared in Martinique but one can think that it would have arrived as of the period of colonization. Also like many recipes from other parts of the world, we have adapted it to our local flavors.
Ingredients
For 2 medium flans and 15 small flans:
- 500 gr of giraumon
- 1 can of unsweetened condensed milk
- 4 eggs
- Liquid caramel
- 1 lemon (zest)
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- A few drops of vanilla essence
Preparation
- Cook the skinless giraumon in water without salt.
- While the giraumon is cooking, caramelize the mold by melting sugar over low heat.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- As soon as the giraumon is cooked, mash it with a fork and mix it with the sweetened condensed milk.
- Add the unsweetened condensed milk and whole eggs.
- Mix for several minutes.
- Pass the preparation through a fine sieve.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, lemon zest and cinnamon.
- Pour everything into the caramelized mold or small ramekins for baking in the oven and cook in a bain-marie for about an hour.
- Turn off the oven when cooking is finished.
- Let cool before tasting!