Vanilla Bean Flan - milk

Method

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Heat 1% milk with vanilla bean halves in a small saucepan over moderate heat until hot.
• Remove from heat, cover, then steep 20 minutes.
• Cook sugar in a 6-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, swirling skillet to help sugar melt evenly, until melted and pale golden.
• Continue to cook, swirling skillet, until deep caramel, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Immediately pour into custard cups, tilting cups to coat bottom.
• Let caramel cool.
• Whisk together whole egg, yolk, condensed milk, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
• Discard vanilla bean pod from steeped milk and gradually whisk milk into egg mixture.
• Divide custard among cups and bake in a water bath, loosely covered with a sheet of foil, in middle of oven until custard is set but still trembles slightly, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove cups from water bath and cool on a rack.
• Chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours.
• Unmold flans by running a knife around edges to loosen and inverting onto plates.