Chef Estevan’s Garcia prepares what he refers to as monastic food. He ought to know; he’s a former member of the Franciscan Order. But Garcia no longer cooks in the monastery, he rules as the Executive Chef at the elegant St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Both the hotel and their restaurants feature beautifully simple but refined taste.

I was treated to an indulgent meal designed to awaken the palate with flavor. Each course presented me with an unusual treat. The highlight of the night was the Chef’s signature dessert, a goat’s milk flan. By then, I was full, but thought I would  try a bite. Saints preserve us! It would have been sinful not to savor every morsel on the plate. And when I looked around, I saw every other member of my group had done the same. Not one plate held leftovers.

The flan tempts with amazingly delicate and rich taste, yet not over powering. The smooth creamy texture simply dissolves into luscious delight. This flan rises into a spiritual sensation and is obviously inspired by connections from above.

Bless you Chef Garcia for sharing the recipe.

Goat’s Milk Flan

Makes 6

Ingredients

• ½ quart/1 pint heavy cream
• ¼ quart/1/2 pint goat’s milk
• ¼ vanilla bean
• ¾ cup sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites

Directions

1. Mix ¼ quart heavy cream and ¼ quart goat’s milk.
2. Stir the vanilla into the sugar using a fork and add to the milk mixture.
3. Boil until it looks like it’s about to boil over.
4. Remove from the heat and add the other quart of heavy cream to cool it down.
5. Mix the egg yolks and white until they are well combined and then add them to the milk mixture. But, if you don’t temper your milk mixture into the eggs first, the eggs will foam.
6. Carmelize the sugar and then put it on the bottom of the ramekins, but let the sugar get hard before you put the milk mixture on top of it. Also, make sure that your sugar is dark enough so that it looks like it’s almost burnt.
7. Put your six flans in a pan and fill it halfway with warm water, and then put it in the oven for three hours ar 250 degrees.

This post joins other food blogs at WanderFood Wednesday.