Heat oven to 325ºF and position rack in the middle. Bring a kettle of water to a simmer. Set 9” ceramic or porcelain tart pan or pie dish (see note) in a large roasting pan.

Place sugar, water and corn syrup in a small, sturdy sauce pan and place over medium high heat. Stir gently once to combine. When the mixture comes to a boil, wash down the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in water to avoid crystals from forming. Do not stir. Reduce heat to medium, occasionally swirl pan, and boil until syrup begins to darken, about 5-8 minutes. Quickly and carefully pour hot syrup into mold, tilting the dish to evenly coat the bottom. Caution: Hot syrup can cause third degree burns! Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk eggs until well combined. Add sugar and salt and continue to whisk. Add sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and whisk until well combined. Pour into pan over caramel.

Carefully place roasting pan in oven. Add water to the roasting pan until it’s halfway up the side of the tart pan. Bake until custard is barely set in the middle, about 60 minutes. Let the custard cool in the hot water bath for about 1 hour. Then refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. To serve, run a warm knife along the edge of the mold. Invert onto a plate and gently tap, releasing the flan and the caramel sauce.



Notes:
• The flan gets all the flavor from the vanilla. Use the best you can find and avoid imitation flavorings.
• Ceramic or porcelain dishes allow an even baking throughout, and they release the flan easily.