Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Make the caramel: in a medium saucepan, evenly spread ¾ cup sugar. Sprinkle ⅓ cup water over the sugar. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a strong simmer without stirring. Gently swirl the pan occasionally.
• Continue simmering and swirling until the mixture begins to turn slightly brown, then lower the heat to low and keep swirling occasionally. When the caramel reaches a light amber color, turn off the heat and lift the pan from the burner; continue swirling until it is a golden-amber color. Be careful—caramel is extremely hot.
• Immediately pour the hot caramel evenly into the bottoms of your ramekins. It is fine if the caramel hardens. (To clean the saucepan later, fill it with hot tap water and heat it to dissolve any hardened caramel.)
• Heat the milk: in a separate medium saucepan, warm 3 cups whole milk over medium heat until it is hot and just starting to bubble at the edges (do not boil). Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 4 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until blended.
• Temper the eggs: slowly pour about half of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Then add the remaining hot milk and whisk until fully combined.
• Strain the custard: pour the milk-and-egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof measuring cup or pitcher to remove any coagulated bits.
• Arrange the ramekins in a roasting pan, leaving about 1 inch between them. Pour the strained custard into each ramekin in equal amounts, filling each ramekin about two-thirds to nearly full.
• Create the water bath: carefully pour hot tap water into the roasting pan around the ramekins until the water reaches about 1/3 of the height of the ramekins (enough to fill about 1/3 of the roasting pan).
• Bake on the middle oven rack for 55 to 70 minutes, or until the custards are set (the centers will slightly jiggle but not be liquid) and the edges are lightly browned.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the ramekins cool in the water bath on a heatproof surface for about 1 hour. Then transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• To unmold and serve: run a sharp knife about ½ inch down the inside edge of each ramekin to loosen the custard. Place a flat dessert plate over a ramekin, invert the plate and ramekin together, then give a gentle but firm thrust to release the flan. Allow the caramel sauce to flow over the flan, then remove the ramekin. Repeat with remaining ramekins and serve immediately.