Parisian Flan (French Custard Pie)

Ricardo's recipes : Parisian Flan (French Custard Pie)

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups (750 ml) milk
• 1 cup (250 ml) sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) cornstarch
• 1 cup (250 ml) 35% cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• Crust
• 11/2 cups (375 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) salt
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
•  egg yolk

PREPARATION

1. In a saucepan, bring milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cream with a whisk. Add egg yolks and whole egg. Slowly incorporate into infused milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and strain. Cover with plastic wrap directly on cream and let cool in the refrigerator or over an ice water bath. Set aside.
3. CrustIn a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and pulse a few seconds at a time until it is the size of peas. Add milk and egg yolk and pulse until a ball begins to form. Shape into a disc with your hands.

Read more...