I recentley had a discusion with a server at a Mexican restaurant about Flan. In all of your opinions should the custard have a smmoth texture or are the bubbles found on the sides of an over baked flan acceptable?

Thanks the pastry chef

By Yankee on Monday, February 05, 2001 - 01:43 pm: Edit

I have never served flan per se, but we do run creme caramels at certain times of the year. When I first started running them, one of my hispanic crew was surprised not to see bubbles when she turned them out of the molds. I just sort of laughed.

My old French pastry chef would never let me live down a "bubbly" creme caramel. "Oh, the shame."

As for it being "acceptable" or not, I guess that's up to you and your customers. "Over baked" sort of speaks for itself, though.

Tell us about this discussion you had. I always get a laugh out of what servers have to say about food.

Cheers.

By vbean on Saturday, April 14, 2001 - 06:18 am: Edit

Yankee is so smart! Actually, when you bake an item, there is always air in it. Egg whites, even unwhipped hold air in them.
When you bake a custard in a water bath (never higher then 325, and never convection), you are actually waiting for the protiens to set. You most certainly want salt in there- that helps the proteins bind and set. Bubbles will rise to the surface (how much did you stir the mixture?). When I was a student, my instructors were stressing the old way of making custards was wrong (whipping the yolks with sugar- too much air). Scalding your milk gives it binding properties, you then complete the equation by introducing the protein and sugar.

By vbean on Saturday, April 14, 2001 - 06:22 am: Edit

Yankee is so smart! Actually, when you bake an item, there is always air in it. Egg whites, even unwhipped hold air in them.
When you bake a custard in a water bath (never higher then 325, and never convection), you are actually waiting for the protiens to set. You most certainly want salt in there- that helps the proteins bind and set. Bubbles will rise to the surface (how much did you stir the mixture?). When I was a student, my instructors were stressing the old way of making custards was wrong (whipping the yolks with sugar- too much air). Scalding your milk gives it binding properties, you then complete the equation by introducing the protein and sugar.

By Yankee on Saturday, April 14, 2001 - 03:15 pm: Edit

ZZZZZZZZZZZ.

By momoreg on Sunday, April 15, 2001 - 08:29 am: Edit

I don't think any of us are all that impressed by these confrontations. We are all here to learn and teach, not to preach, and one-up each other.

By d. on Sunday, April 15, 2001 - 02:31 pm: Edit

I always bake my custards at 300 and convection. Vbean your so SMART!

By chefmanny on Monday, April 16, 2001 - 09:08 am: Edit

you should not have bubbles!!!
baked at too high temp

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, April 16, 2001 - 02:25 pm: Edit

For the SECOND TIME!! There is a difference between Flan and Creme Caramel. Most authentic Flan will have some bubbles because it is baked at a higher temp. The caramel is almost to the point of bitter it is so dark. The cream caramel is set not baked. Does anybody argue this.
Many items are all lumped together under one name.
Jeff

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, April 17, 2001 - 08:40 am: Edit

Ditto Panini!