How to make flan in a water bath and without an oven?

Read in EnglishAt first glance, making flan sounds very easy: you blend eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla. You melt the sugar to make the caramel, and this is where it gets tricky, because the cooking does require a bit of attention, even when done without an oven.This may have to do with the very specific consistency of the flan, soft and creamy, but with a slight gelatinous texture that allows it to wobble a bit when shaken. Achieving this involves monitoring the temperature of the water bath, the cooking time, and even the pots and molds we use.The water bath is a slow and even cooking method, which involves immersing one container inside another larger one filled with water, then bringing it to a boil, not only used to make flan or foods in general, but also a method used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, for example.For Brenda Villagómez, chef at kiwilimón, “the first thing you need to check before making the flan is that you have a pot wide enough for the mold you will use, so you don't struggle with the fact that the mold won't fit in the pot.” You also need to ensure that both the mold and the pot can be covered well, because many times, if the mold isn't covered properly, water can get into the mixture and the flan will never cook, and here comes the second tip:The optimal way to cook flan in a water bath is with a rack, but if you don’t have that option, Chef Brenda recommends placing small flan molds upside down and putting a heat-resistant plate on top, and then placing the mold on that.Another key point in cooking a flan on the stove is to ensure there is always water and that it does not evaporate, as the cooking depends on the steam it produces. Be sure to refill with hot water if you notice the level is dropping.We hope that with these cooking tips your flan comes out perfect, and don’t forget to check the tips we gathered for you if you're making it for the first time.