Goat Milk Flan

When Larry and I visited Chicago a couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed a terrific meal at Frontera Grill, one of three adjoining restaurants owned by one of my favorite chefs, Rick Bayless. The evening was made even more special because we shared it with Larry’s daughter and her husband.

After appetizers and our entrées – I had the striped bass – we got down to the serious business of choosing desserts. Larry and Matt shared caramel ice cream, while Laura and I opted for a duo of flans, one vanilla and the other made with goat milk. We agreed that the goat milk flan got the gold star and I came home inspired to try to recreate it.

Last weekend at Camp Blogaway, a conference in the mountains for over one hundred food bloggers, I spied this portrait of a smiling goat. She belongs to Redwood Hill Farm up north in Sebastopol and the photo credit belongs to them. Isn’t she cute? I heard that a female goat produces a gallon of milk a day! I was surprised to find goat milk readily available in Trader Joe’s and both our neighborhood supermarkets.

Finally, many thanks to Susan for her speedy cardamom consult.

TIP: You will need six 8-ounce heatproof ramekins for this recipe.

Serves 6

• 4 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar, divided use
• 3 cups goat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Using a medium-sized saucepan with a heavy bottom, heat 1 cup of the sugar over medium heat until it begins to melt. Stir constantly until the sugar has totally melted into a light-brown syrup, about 10 minutes of stirring.

2. Divide the syrup evenly between the six ramekins, quickly turning each ramekin so as to cover its bottom and part of the sides.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar.

5. Using a medium-sized saucepan, heat the milk until just simmering, when steam begins to rise from the pan. Slowly pour into the egg-sugar mixture, stirring as you pour.

6. Add the vanilla, orange zest and cardamom. Mix well.

7. Pour the custard into the caramel-lined ramekins. Place the ramekins in a large baking dish. Use a large measuring cup to fill the baking dish with an inch of hot water.

8. Place the large baking dish in the preheated oven and bake 45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a flan.

9. Allow the flans to cool on a rack. Serve warm or chilled. To serve, run a sharp knife around the sides of each ramekin and invert onto dessert plates.