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Leche asada
Leche asada: Lima's simple baked milk custard with a speckled brown top
A fixture of Lima's set-lunch menus and school canteens, leche asada is the plainer sibling of flan: milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla baked in a dish until set, with no caramel layer, so the top browns into a freckled skin that's the best part. It is lighter and a little less smooth than crème caramel, faintly scented with cinnamon and lemon zest, and served cold in squares or straight from little ramekins. Many cooks rush it in a hot oven, which makes the custard bubble and weep watery holes; bake it low and in a water bath, and only brown the top at the end. It makes a gentle end to a heavy meal and keeps for three days in the fridge. Chef's tip: strain the custard and skim off the foam before baking for a smooth, even set.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Warm 3 ¼ cups whole milk with 1 cinnamon stick and 1 strip lemon zest in a pan over a medium heat until steaming, then take off the heat and infuse for 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and zest.
15 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and grease a 1.2 litre baking dish or 6 ramekins with ⅓ oz butter. Put a kettle on to boil.
Step 3: Whisk 5 eggs, 5 ½ oz sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a bowl until just combined, without whipping in air. Slowly whisk in the warm milk.
Step 4: Strain the custard into the dish and skim off any foam. Set the dish in a roasting tin and pour boiling water into the tin to come halfway up its sides.
Step 5: Bake until the custard is set at the edges with a slight wobble in the centre, 40–45 minutes for a large dish or 25–30 for ramekins.
45 minStep 6: Turn the oven grill to high and grill the top for 2–4 minutes, watching closely, until it is speckled golden brown. Lift out of the water bath.
4 minStep 7: Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours. Dust with ¼ tsp ground cinnamon if you like and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does leche asada take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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