 | Saffron FlanPastry Chef Amanda Wildermuth of Honey Road | Burlington, VT |
Working at Honey Road, I am inspired by Eastern Mediterranean flavors and incorporate them into all of my desserts. Perfect Purée allows me to have access to fresh, high-quality fruit purées from regions around the world that I would otherwise not be able to source. The Passion Fruit Concentrate in the flan caramel adds a tart contrast to the rich custard and earthy saffron. The sweet apricot and tart pomegranate sauces complement the dish with fresh regional fruit flavors.
Ingredients for Saffron Cream:
• 1 qt. heavy cream
• ½ tsp. saffron, slightly heaped
Ingredients for Flan Base:
• 1 can (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk
• 600 g. whole milk
• 160 g. Saffron Cream
• 3 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1¼ tsp. salt
Ingredients for Flan Caramel:
• 240 g. granulated sugar
• 30 g. The Perfect Purée Passion Fruit Concentrate, thawed
Ingredients for Apricot Sauce:
• 225 g. The Perfect Purée Apricot Puree, thawed
• ⅛ tsp. saffron
• 50 g. sugar
• ½ tsp. apple pectin
• 5 g. sugar (to mix with pectin)
• ¼ tsp. citric acid
Ingredients for Pomegranate Sauce:
• 210 g. The Perfect Purée Pomegranate Concentrate, thawed
• 20 g. pomegranate molasses
• 60 g. sugar
• ½ tsp. apple pectin
• 10 g. sugar (to mix with pectin)
• ¼ tsp. citric acid
To Assemble and Serve:
Maldon sea salt
Method for Saffron Cream:
In a saucepan, bring cream and saffron to a simmer. Remove from heat, stir, and steep overnight. Mix well before using.
Method for Flan Base:
In a large container, combine sweetened condensed milk, milk, Saffron Cream, eggs, yolks, vanilla, and salt. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve.
Method for Flan Caramel:
In a saucepan, combine sugar with enough water to resemble wet sand. Add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice and cook over medium heat until a medium amber caramel forms. Carefully deglaze with The Perfect Purée Passion Fruit Concentrate and stir until bubbling subsides. Working quickly, portion 20 grams of caramel into each prepared 90mm ring mold (wrapped with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray). Tilt to coat the bottoms evenly and allow caramel to harden. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Pour 135 grams of flan base over the set caramel. Place molds in a water bath, cover with foil, and bake until just set, about 50 minutes. Chill overnight.
Method for Apricot Sauce:
Mix the smaller sugar portion with pectin. Bring The Perfect Purée Apricot Puree, saffron, and larger sugar portion to a boil. Whisk in the sugar-pectin mixture and boil briefly. Remove from heat, stir in citric acid, and cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
Method for Pomegranate Sauce:
Mix the smaller sugar portion with pectin. Bring The Perfect Purée Pomegranate Concentrate, pomegranate molasses, and larger sugar portion to a boil. Whisk in the sugar-pectin mixture and boil briefly. Remove from heat, stir in citric acid, and cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
To Assemble and Serve:
Carefully unmold each flan onto a serving plate, allowing the caramel to cascade over the sides. Drizzle Apricot and Pomegranate Sauces across the flan and finish with a pinch of Maldon sea salt.