Destination
Rio de Janeiro
The story
Pudim (specifically pudim de leite condensado) is Brazil's national dessert. Three ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, whole milk (the same volume as the condensed milk), and eggs. Blended together, poured over dark caramel in a ring mould, baked in a bain-marie until just set, chilled overnight, inverted onto a plate where the caramel pools around the flan like glass. Slice with the biggest knife you own; serve straight.
Method
Combine the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat without stirring until deep amber (about 5 to 7 minutes). Immediately pour into the ring mould, tilting to coat the base and part-way up the sides. Set aside.
Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
In a blender, combine the condensed milk, whole milk, eggs and vanilla if using. Blend on low for 30 seconds until smooth, but don't over-blend (excess air creates bubbles on the finished pudim).
Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, then pour into the caramelised ring mould.
Place the filled mould in the deep roasting tin. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the tin until it reaches halfway up the sides of the mould.
Slide carefully into the oven. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until the pudim is just set with a slight wobble in the centre when you nudge the tin. The top should still look pale.
Lift the mould out of the water. Cool to room temperature (about an hour), then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Run a thin knife around the inner and outer edges of the mould. Place a serving plate on top, invert together, and give the mould a firm shake. The pudim should slide out and the caramel should pool around it. Slice with a large sharp knife dipped in hot water between cuts.
Tips
- Use the condensed milk tin as your measure. Empty the tin into the blender, then fill it with whole milk and pour that in. Same volume, no measuring, correct ratio. This is how every Brazilian home baker does it.
- Watch the caramel like a hawk. It goes from amber to burnt in ten seconds. Take it off the heat the moment it reaches deep amber; residual heat keeps cooking it in the pan.
- Don't over-blend the custard. Blending too long incorporates air, which shows up as bubbles on the top of the finished pudim. 30 seconds on low is plenty.
- The strain is what separates bakery pudim from home-baker pudim. Straining removes egg strands and gives the finished dessert a glass-smooth surface when inverted.
- Chill overnight, not for 4 hours. Pudim genuinely improves overnight: the caramel dissolves into a proper syrup, and the custard tightens to the correct set. Never serve it warm.
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