After a blah Friday night, I’m having a friend come over tonight for some home-cooked things and maybe a glass, or two. It was a rough night, after terminating my sushi dinner 30 minutes after sitting down as my light-sensitive migraine attacked me full-blast. It was so intense that I threw up when I made it home. I panicked a little as I don’t typically throw up, no matter how much alcohol I’ve had. So it was that bad.
Even after I turned off all the lights, threw myself on the bed and covered my eyes with a sleeping mask from a previous airplane ride, I still felt like there were giant waves gushing inside my head and body. And no, a migraine is not a headache.
The only cure for me is pitch-black darkness, utmost silence and sleep. So I did that and now I’m almost back to normal.
And I’m going to celebrate by cooking up a storm today and capping the night with leche flan: a traditional Filipino dessert made from either from carabao, evaporated or condensed milk topped with caramelised sugar. It’s likened to a denser panna cotta without the gelatin.
I am very sensitive to sweets so my version has a lighter texture, somewhere between a traditional flan and a panna cotta, with a delicately sweet flavor that’s easy on the palate.
LECHE FLAN RECIPE
1 tall can evaporated milk
4 whole eggs, beaten
2/3c caster sugar for flan
1/2c caster sugar for caramel
1/2 tsp vanilla
In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly and add 2/3c sugar to dissolve. Add milk and vanilla and mix into the mixture. Set aside.
In a llanera mold (I forgot to bring them here to Singapore so I use a round cake pan), throw in the 1/2c sugar and caramelise this over the stove.
Once the sugar melts into a nice golden brown liquid, start moving really fast to prevent the leche flan from hardening and cracking. Using a sieve, pour the milky-egg mixture into the caramelly pan and quickly transfer to a steamer.
Cover and steam over medium fire, 30-45 minutes. You know your flan is ready when you tap the surface lightly with a spoon and it’s bouncy and solid.
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