Lemon flan with tutti frutti

Preparation – 40 minutes + waiting time

Combine milk, sugar, salt, lemon juice and zest in a medium-sized pan. Bring to a boil and then cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn down the heat and remove the lid, let the mixture steep for about 1 hour at room temperature.

Meanwhile, heat the white grape juice and let it simmer uncovered for half an hour. You still have another half an hour left until you can finish the flans. Perfect time to peel and cut the pear, apple and melon in the same-sized cubes.

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees celsius or 350 degrees fahrenheit. Add dried apricots, prunes, raisins and figs (hard stems removed) to the cubed melon, pear and apple. Also add the cinnamon stick, ground nutmeg, cloves, honey, lemon and orange zest and white wine.

Add all these ingredients to the reduced white grape juice and let it simmer for another half an hour and it becomes slightly syrupy. Let it cool for an hour, or overnight. Place the ramekins onto the oven dish and fill the oven dish halfway with water to create a bain-marie.  

Baking the lemon flan – 40 minutes

The milk should be steeped enough by now, so re-heat the milk but don't let it come to a boil. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in the large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer until well combined. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.

Keep on mixing to prevent it from creating lumps. Pour the milk and egg mixture into the prepared ramekins. Bake in the oven until the centre is set, which will take about 40 minutes, depending on your oven.

Remove the flans from the water and let them cool for at least an hour, but the longer you refrigerate them, the better they will taste. Preferably overnight.

The easiest way to remove the flans from the ramekins is to run a knife around on the edges and heat the ramekins in hot water. The flan will get loose from the ramekins.

Serve with the syrupy tutti frutti. Probably you have extra tutti frutti, store in an airtight container and serve with yoghurt for a lovely breakfast.