Oolong Tea Flan With Brown Sugar Caramel

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To make the flan, start by making evaporated milk. In a saucepan, combine the milk and oolong tea leaves. Heat over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent a skin from forming and to prevent the bottom from scorching. Let the milk cool down in the freezer if you want to make the dessert quickly, or the fridge if you want to break up the steps.

   Step 2

   Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, eggs, egg yolks, and salt. Strain this mixture into a medium bowl.

   Step 3

   Once the evaporated milk is cold (about 25 minutes in the freezer and 45 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge), strain it into a measuring cup. You should get 1 cup of infused milk. (It’s okay if a few specks of tea make their way into the milk.) If you have less, top it off with a little more milk so you get to 1 cup. Add the milk to the egg mixture and whisk together.

   Step 4

   Set six ramekins out on a countertop and start on the brown sugar caramel. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 2 tablespoons of water with the brown sugar and corn syrup. Monitoring with an instant-read thermometer, heat the caramel to 250°F. It should take 3 to 4 minutes. Once the temperature hits 250°F, take the pan off the heat and swirl in 2 more tablespoons of water. Evenly distribute the brown sugar caramel among the ramekins, spooning about 1 tablespoon into each.

   Step 5

   Evenly divide the egg mixture into the ramekins by pouring about 1⁄2 cup into each ramekin. Cover the ramekins tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

   Step 6

   In a large pot fitted with a steamer insert, bring 1 cup of water to a boil over high heat. If you do not have a steamer, form a few sheets of aluminum foil into 1-inch-thick nest-like shapes each, large enough to hold a ramekin and sit securely while being steamed. You want the foil to be just slightly above the water. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. With tongs, gently place three ramekins into the steamer or on the squares of foil, ensuring they don’t touch the water, and steam, covered, for 15 minutes. The flans should look mostly set, with a slight wobble in the center. (They’ll finish cooking as they cool.) If they still look liquidy, re-cover the flans and steam for 2 more minutes. Cook the next batch of three ramekins the same way, adding more water to the pot if necessary.

   Step 7

   Let the flans cool to room temperature. Run a butter knife around the inside edges of the ramekins to release the flans, then flip each one upside down onto a plate. You could flip them out while they’re still warm, but if you wait until they cool, they’ll have a firmer texture and better flavor. Serve immediately or store in the fridge tightly covered with foil or plastic wrap for 4 to 5 days.