← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 750 ml whole milk
• 150 g Sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick (canela)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks

Method

1. Warm the milk, sugar and cinnamon stick in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until it just steams (don’t boil). Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 min, then remove the cinnamon and stir in the vanilla.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Whisk the eggs and yolks in a bowl, then pour in the warm milk slowly, whisking all the time. Strain into a jug.
3. Pour into 6 ramekins and set them in a roasting tin. Add hot water to come halfway up the sides.
4. Bake for 30–35 min, until set at the edges with a slight wobble in the middle.
5. Lift the ramekins out of the water and put them under a very hot grill for 3–5 min, watching closely, until the tops are blistered and dark brown in patches.
6. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours. Serve cold.

Tips

• The scorched top is the point, so let it get properly dark; a kitchen blowtorch works too.
• Straining the custard removes any egg strands for a silky set.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Thai Caliente Mexico in My Kitchen