Recipe: Raymond Tan’s Banana Milk Flan Takes Him Right Back to His Childhood

Like any great artist, Raymond Tan throws things at the wall and sees what sticks. The self-taught Melbourne baker, who runs hotspots Raya and Dua, as well as late-night dessert cafe Nimbo alongside his cousin, came up with this banana milk flan when he was experimenting. And, well, it sticks.

“I absolutely love banana-flavoured things, especially banana milk – it has this nostalgic, slightly artificial taste that takes me right back to my childhood,” he writes in his debut cookbook, You’re Welcome! written alongside Broadsheet Melbourne food and drink editor Audrey Payne.

The base is a classic caramel flan – silky, wobbly and set overnight in the fridge – but the banana milk is what makes it Tan’s. He reaches for Binggrae, the beloved Korean brand, though he encourages you to browse the fridges of your local Asian grocer and pick whatever appeals. Melon milk, taro milk, something you’ve never tried before – the variations are part of the fun.

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Banana milk flan by Dua

Serves 10–12
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

70g caster sugar
6 eggs
4 egg yolks
150g sweetened condensed milk
150g thickened cream
1L banana milk
4g (1 tsp) banana extract (or vanilla, in a pinch)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C and get out a 23cm diameter cake tin. To make the caramel, add the sugar and 24ml water to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, without stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then keep cooking until the caramel turns a deep amber colour, about 4–5 minutes.

Quickly pour the caramel into the cake tin (be careful, hot caramel can spit) and swirl to evenly coat the base. Leave at room temperature to cool and harden.

To make the flan, gently whisk the eggs, egg yolks, condensed milk, cream, banana milk and banana extract in a large bowl until just combined. Pass the mixture through a sieve twice, ensuring there are no bubbles to give the finished flan a smooth, creamy texture. Pour the flan mixture over the set caramel and cover the top tightly with foil.

Place the cake tin inside a roasting tray that’s slightly larger than the tin, put it in the oven, then pour hot water into the tray until it reaches halfway up the sides of the tin. Bake for about an hour, until the flan is just set but still slightly wobbly in the centre.

Remove the flan from the oven and the water bath and leave at room temperature until cool to the touch. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight, to firm up.

To serve, warm the bottom of the tin in hot water for about 5 minutes to gently melt the caramel. Place a serving plate on top of the flan, then flip the flan upside down onto the plate. (If you’re having trouble releasing the flan, run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake tin to help loosen it.) The flan will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Images and text from You’re Welcome! by Raymond Tan with Audrey Payne, photography by Louise Hagger. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.