Yuzu Flan de Cajeta with Chrysanthemum Glass and Kinako Dust

In the kitchens of modern Mexico City, where Japanese immigrants have woven their citrus traditions into colonial Spanish custard craft, this dessert honors both the goat herders of Celaya and the yuzu orchards of Kochi Prefecture. The burnt goat milk caramel marries with yuzu's piercing aromatics, while kinako dust recalls the soybean fields that sustained both cultures through centuries of careful cultivation.

Serves

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Serves 6

60 ml Yuzu juice, freshpreferably from Kochi Prefecture yuzu

2 tablespoons Yuzu zest, freshfinely microplaned

200 ml Cajeta de leche de cabrafrom Celaya, or homemade goat milk caramel

400 ml Goat milkfull-fat, preferably from Guanajuato

4 large Whole eggsroom temperature

100 g Caster sugarfor custard base

30 g Kinako flourroasted soybean flour from Japan

3 g Agar powderfor chrysanthemum glass

15 g Dried chrysanthemum flowersfood-grade, for tea infusion

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, Mexicanfrom Papantla vanilla beans

The Method

6 steps

Prepare chrysanthemum tea by steeping dried flowers in 300ml boiling water for 8 minutes until golden and floral. Strain, pressing flowers to extract maximum essence. While warm, whisk in agar powder until completely dissolved, then chill in thin sheet pan until set, about 45 minutes.

Warm cajeta gently to 60°C, whisk in yuzu juice gradually to prevent breaking the emulsion. The mixture should smell intensely of burnt goat milk with bright citrus top notes. Divide among six 120ml ramekins, tilting to coat bottoms evenly.

Heat goat milk with yuzu zest to 75°C, steaming but not simmering. The milk should carry the perfume of yuzu oils released from the zest. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 20 minutes.

Whisk eggs with caster sugar until pale ribbons form when lifted, about 3 minutes by hand. Strain warm yuzu milk through fine mesh directly into egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Add vanilla extract. The custard should coat a spoon lightly and smell of yuzu-perfumed goat milk.

Strain custard through fine mesh again, then divide among cajeta-lined ramekins. Place in baking dish, add hot water halfway up sides. Bake at 160°C for 35-40 minutes until centers barely wobble when shaken and a knife inserted off-center comes out clean.

Cool completely, then refrigerate minimum 2 hours. To serve, run thin knife around edges, invert onto plates. Break chrysanthemum glass into artistic shards, arrange around flan. Dust kinako flour delicately over plate using fine mesh strainer, creating earthy contrast to bright citrus custard.

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