Why it works: Sugar and orange are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 20% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,212 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Flan De Naranja
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the caramel
Place the sugar and water in a small skillet to caramelize.
Heat over a medium flame, stirring constantly until the sugar has a golden color.
Pour immediately into 6 custard cups or all into a flan pan if you have it and spread it around side and bottom.
Make the custard
Lightly beat the eggs with a wire whisk until light colored.
Beat in the sugar.
Gradually add the orange juice and the orange rind.
Pour into the custard cups.
Bake and serve
Place the cups in a pan of hot water.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the custard comes out clean.
If using a pan, place in a deep pot with enough hot water to cover at least half the pan.
Remove from the pan of water and cool.
Unmold and spoon on the caramelized sugar.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Sugar + orangetop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together19,212 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Egg + orangetop 31% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together10,696 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Sugar and orange barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,212 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set the custard into a firm, sliceable structure as they cook.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the custard and, when caramelized, forms the golden topping sauce.
- Orange juice
- Adds bright acidity and orange flavor to the custard.
- Orange rind
- Contributes aromatic orange oil for stronger citrus flavor.
The step that matters
Heat the caramel until golden. Sugar darkens quickly once it starts to colour, so it can turn bitter if overheated. Stirring constantly and pouring it right away keeps it evenly golden and easy to spread before it hardens.
Swap the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, sugar):
- Vanillafits better
- Raisinfits better
- Lemonfits better
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, sugar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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