Elbah
Custard with saffron and cardamon
Crème caramelalbah, though it's more often transliterated as elbah or elba. It's slightly different from that of other countries as
it usually includes ground cardamon and saffron. As expected, I found many different recipes for elbah. Some including condensed or evaporated milk are likely more modern variations. I saw several that used powdered
milk, and decided to use up the powdered milk I had left here - though I had to modify the recipe quantities, as I only had about half a cup left. There are also multiple methods to make it: I went for the easiest: blend all the
ingredients together, and cook them in a water bath in the oven. The recipe below makes around 6 to 8 ramekins, but you can use any baking dish you want. I'd gotten a couple of darling lidded mini cocottes, so I used those.
Overall, I liked this dessert. It had the lumpy, hole-y consistency which I, personally, love in flan - but it was quite light. Eaten without the caramel, it has a very interesting and subtle mix of cardamon and saffron
flavors. In the bites with caramel, the cardamon and saffron just become hints. It was less sweet than other flans I've made; it tasted more grown up. I can see myself serving this at a dinner party - it's beautiful enough to
impress. That said, my daughter was definitely not a fan of the flavor the powdered milk gave the pudding, and I wouldn't add it again.
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Elbah
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
- 5 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup powdered milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
- 1/8 tsp ground saffron
- saffron threads for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Add 1/2" water to a large baking pan or broiler.
Place 1/2 cup sugar in a small non-stick pan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it caramelizes to your tasting, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully pour the melted sugar onto a large oven-safe pan or several ramekins. Set aside.
Using a blender, beat the eggs and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients, save for the saffron threads, and blend well.
Pour the batter into the pan or ramekins with the caramel. Sprinkle saffron threads on top. Cover with lids or aluminum foil. Carefully place the pan or ramekins into the baking pan with the water.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then place in the refrigerator and cool for at least an hour before serving.
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Adapted from Fatemah Al-Husayni's recipe at Kitchen Flavours
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