Halo-Halo Party, Part 5, Leche Flan

This is another Filipino essential classic. The name 'flan' is quite misleading, it's actually a baked custard. A kind of gypo version of creme caramel, with condensed and evaporated milk instead of cream.  Try it, very easy, and very good.

1)Make a caramel by stirring 100g of sugar and 1 tbsp of water, then put it on the heat, and DO NOT stir, swirl the pan gently. Once it comes to the bubble, stick by the pan and observe vigilantly. You will notice that the syrup bubbles less violently, even though it's getting hotter. Once it starts to colour, be quite psychopathic,  and watch it burn from cheap gold to rich, dark amber, then take it off the heat and pour it into a regular cake pan. Before it sets, swirl it up the sides. Do yourself a favour and immediately soak the hot pan you cooked the caramel in or it will crystallise in the pan and you will never bring it back from petrification.

2)Whisk three eggs with a 397g can of condensed milk, and a little less of evaporated milk. Whisk with a flat whisk, not a balloon, if you have one, just until it combines, you don't want to airate it. Pass it through a sieve if tiny lumps are a major concern then pour on top of the caramel tin, in a roasting tin. Fill the roasting tin around the custard with boiling water, about 2.5 cm deep, then bake at 170 degrees for about 45 minutes. If it rises that's not an issue, it will deflate while it cools. 

3)Leave to cool completely before leaving it in the fridge over night, and turn out in the morning. Once the caramel melts again in the oven, it won't set again, so turning out is no difficulty.
4)Since this is the last part of my party series, this is where I explain how to make Halo-Halo. Arrange all the different elements in bowls on the table, and let people make their own.  Start with the beans and fruit, then leche flan, then jelly at the bottom of a sundae glass, then crushed ice, then top with a scoop of ube ice cream, then fill the whole glass with milk. Shovel and mix with a spoon while you eat. Have fun!