Red Yam Flan Recipes

SWEET POTATO FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potato with fork; roast until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on width of potato. Cool. Cut potato in half and scoop flesh into mini processor; puree until smooth. Measure 1 cup puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Maintain oven temperature.
• Stir 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour caramel into 8-inch-diameter metal cake pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons caramel in saucepan. Using pot holders, swirl cake pan, allowing caramel to coat bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides.
• Add half and half to remaining caramel in saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until caramel dissolves. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until frothy. Whisk in cream, salt, 1 cup sweet potato puree, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture. Strain into same saucepan. Stir over medium heat 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in Port. Pour custard into prepared cake pan.
• Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until just set in center, about 1 hour. Remove flan from water. Chill until cold, about 5 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.
• Dip bottom and 1 inch up sides of cake pan into pan of hot water 15 seconds. Wipe dry. Invert onto rimmed plate, scraping caramel in pan over flan.

SWEET POTATO FLAN

Steps:

• Reheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake potatoes until soft throughout, about 1 hour. Cool, then peel and cut into chunks. Puree in a food processor--do not over mix--and reserve. Reduce oven to 325 degrees F.
• Prepare caramel and sauce following the same method as for Creme Caramel (recipe follows). Line a 3-quart Pyrex loaf pan with caramel and set aside on a level surface. Chill sauce.
• Combine custard ingredients in a large bowl and whisk in the sweet potato puree to combine. Pour through a strainer into lined loaf pan.
• Place inside a larger roasting pan. Pour in boiling water until it rises halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake about 1 hour and 50 minutes. The center should feel firm when pressed.
• Set aside to cool about 1 1/2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap touching top. Refrigerate overnight or as long as 4 days.
• Run a knife along inside edge 2 or 3 times to loosen. When you press center, sides should pull away. Cover with a platter and quickly invert. Drain excess caramel into a bowl and strain into reserved cold sauce. Serve slices of flan on dessert plates. Top with chilled caramel sauce.

PORTUGUESE FLAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To make caramel: combine the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan. Be sure all the sugar granules are washed down from the sides of the pan (use a wet pastry brush). Cook over moderate heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the color is golden brown and the mixture smells like caramel. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the caramel into a 9 inch round cake pan and, holding the pan with an oven glove, swirl it around to generously coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and 2 cups of the half and half, without whisking in any air. Bring the remaining half and half and the port to a simmer in a small saucepan and begin whisking this into the egg mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly until it is all incorporated. Pour through a strainer into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan inside a large roasting pan and pour very hot tap water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for about 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the center is slightly jiggly but not wavy. Cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap with the plastic gently touching the top of the flan. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 4 days.
• To unmold the custard, run a small sharp knife around the inside edges of the dish several times to loosen it. Dip the bottom briefly in a basin of very hot tap water. Invert a round platter over the dish and turn them both over together, shaking the two a little to help release the custard (or rap the bottom of the platter gently on the work surface). The caramel sauce will run out around the edges of the platter. Garnish the top of the flan with violets or other edible flowers.