Hugh Jackman's flan: A sweet taste of childhood nostalgia

"Baking and cooking are acts of love," said Grace McNeil, the mother of the Wolverine actor from the X-Men series. Hugh Jackman recalls that although she was tired from her hard work as a seamstress, she always made sure the family had decent meals. There was also always dessert on the table, including the future movie star’s favourite, flan, a delicate custard made with milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, usually served with a caramel layer on top.

Grace McNeil wrote her favourite recipes in a special notebook, which eventually came into Jackman’s possession. The actor decided to share the flan recipe on his Instagram channel, and his post was met with enthusiasm from internet users. The dish turned out to be truly delicious and, just as importantly, easy to prepare.

We can easily prepare the dessert in our own kitchen. The ingredients are widely available, and significant culinary skills are not needed.

It is crucial that the ingredients for the flan, especially the eggs, are fresh. We can assess this by submerging the egg in a glass of cold water. If the egg immediately sinks horizontally to the bottom, it is safe to eat and use. If it floats to the surface or even sticks out above the water, it clearly has a very large air cell, indicating its lack of freshness.

When cracked onto a plate, a fresh egg has a clear, thick, and transparent egg white and a convex, centrally located yolk. The older it gets, the cloudier and thinner the egg white becomes, and it spreads more, while the yolk becomes duller, flatter, and sometimes shows spots located near the shell.

We start by preparing the dessert’s caramel coating. Pour half a cup of sugar into a saucepan, add 3-4 tablespoons of water, heat without stirring, then simmer covered for about 5 minutes. After this time, remove the lid and let the mixture evaporate until it turns amber-coloured. Shake the pan a few times to evenly caramelize.

Pour the mixture into a glass cake pan (to avoid leaks through possible gaps), spread it on the bottom, and set it aside to harden.

In a pot, pour about a litre of whole milk, add half a cup of sugar, and heat, but do not bring to a boil. In a bowl, mix 6 eggs, 4-5 tablespoons of vanilla sugar, and a pinch of salt, then slowly pour in the hot milk while constantly stirring.

Pour the milk-egg mixture into the cake pan with caramel. Place the form in a larger one filled with water, reaching halfway up the cake pan. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for about 50 minutes until the top is set.

After removing the flan from the oven, leave it for half an hour at room temperature, then place it in the fridge, preferably overnight. The next day, run a thin knife around the edges of the form, then quickly invert it—the caramel should be on top.

Hugh Jackman’s favourite dessert tastes great on its own, although it can also be served with fruits, such as blueberries or raspberries.