Flan De Naranja; Orange Flan

(6 servings)

The other day I came home with a variety of oranges, tangerines and tangelos. They were all on sale and I couldn't help myself. I have been peeling and eating most of them, but I had enough to try a Spanish orange flan recipe I spotted online a while back. I loved that it contained no milk or cream; only juice and eggs.

I made mine with freshly squeezed juice and reduced the amount of sugar the recipe called for because my juice already seemed sweet enough. I also added the zest from one of the tangelos to the juice and let that sit for a bit. I have been using a microplaner in place of my conventional zester with terrific results. The zest I obtain from the microplaner is so fine, there's more surface overall creating a pungent citrusy fragrance/flavour from the oils in the peel.

This flan was delicious and exceeded my expectations, however the next time I make this I will use 6 ramekins instead of 1 larger dish. I think the single servings will make a nicer presentation.

adapted from a recipe at tusrecetasdecocina.com

1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp water
2 - 3 tbsp honey, to taste
2 cups freshly squeezed orange, tangerine or tangelo juice
about 1 tbsp orange, tangerine or tangelo zest
4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325°F

Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the bottom of a *small (1 qt.) ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the water over the sugar until the sugar is soaked evenly. Place the dish into a microwave and cook for about 1 1/2-2 minutes on high to start and then about 15-20 sec. intervals until the sugar becomes a nice **medium brown colour. Remove (the dish will be very hot) and swirl the sugar mixture so it coats the entire bottom and sides. Set aside.

*or use 6 ramekins in which case it might be easier to make the syrup over the stove top in a pot.

** Watch the syrup carefully because once it begins to change colour, it will darken rapidly. I use a low powered microwave and I check the syrup every 15 seconds once it begins to change.

Combine one tablespoon of honey with the juice. Add more if needed. Stir in the zest and set aside.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl until the yolks and whites are well combined. Whisk in the juice mixture.
Pour the mixture through a sieve carefully into the baking dish with the caramelized sugar. Press the zest with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much flavour as possible. Cover the top with a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper cut to fit.

Place the baking dish into a larger baking dish and fill with hot water about 1/2 way up the side of the flan dish. Place into oven and bake/steam for about 50-65 minutes or until the flan has set.

Allow to cool completely. Loosen the edges with a sharp knife, and dip the bottom of the dish into hot water for about 30 seconds. Carefully invert the flan onto a serving platter and serve.