Peach Pudding —rsquo; When the Flan Has a Legacy and the Table Has Thirteen

Thanksgiving 2021. The real Thanksgiving. Not the pandemic two-person table of 2020, not the four-person compromise. The real thing. Five hundred and eleven plates at the hospital. The turkey was excellent. The gravy was correct. The mashed potatoes held their shape. The cranberry sauce was from scratch. The pumpkin flan — my hybrid, my contribution to American holiday cuisine — was served for the sixth year and has become a tradition, which means it can never be removed from the menu, which means I have permanently altered the culinary landscape of Hartford Hospital, and this is my legacy as much as the thirty-three years and the fifteen hundred daily meals. The flan stays.

At home: the table. The blessed, sacred, beautiful table. Me, Eduardo, Mami, Sofía, Miguel Jr., Jenny, Lucas (three and a half, wearing a turkey hat Jenny made), Isabella (sixteen months, eating mashed potatoes with her hands), Rosa and Carlos (Rosa thinner, sleep-deprived, radiant), Camila (two weeks old, sleeping in a car seat under the table because the table is too full and the car seat fits under and Camila does not care because Camila is two weeks old and sleeps anywhere). Ana from Bridgeport. Thirteen people. The table seats twelve. One extra chair. One extra chair from the neighbor. The extra chair is back. The extra chair is the symbol. The extra chair means the table is full and the fullness requires accommodation and the accommodation is the entire point of having a table.

I made the full menu: turkey for the American holiday (because Thanksgiving is the American holiday I have adopted most fully), pernil for the Puerto Rican soul (because the soul cannot be sustained by turkey alone), arroz con gandules, tostones, ensalada de coditos, habichuelas, flan. Eduardo said grace. He said, We are grateful to be together. We are grateful to be vaccinated. We are grateful for Camila. We are grateful for this table. I added, in Spanish: Y estamos agradecidos por la comida, que es amor. And we are grateful for the food, which is love. Mami said, Amén. Thirteen people said amén. The amén was the sermon.

The pumpkin flan belongs to Hartford Hospital now—it is permanent, it is legacy, it cannot be undone—but at home, at the table that needed a borrowed chair, dessert gets to be lighter, quieter, something that does not have to carry the weight of five hundred and eleven plates. This peach pudding is that dessert: a silky, custard-style sweet that echoes the spirit of the flan without demanding the ceremony, the kind of thing you can set down in front of thirteen people (one of whom is two weeks old and does not care) and simply let it be good. Eduardo would say it is grateful food. He would be right.

Peach Pudding

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 3 cups)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing the dish

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish or eight 6-ounce ramekins generously and set aside.
2. Macerate the peaches. Toss the sliced peaches with 1/4 cup of the sugar in a bowl and let them sit for 10 minutes until they release their juices. Arrange the peach slices in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
3. Make the custard base. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined and smooth.
4. Pour and settle. Slowly pour the custard mixture over the arranged peaches. Give the dish a gentle tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
5. Bake in a water bath. Place the baking dish inside a larger roasting pan. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the pudding is just set at the edges but has a slight wobble in the center.
6. Cool and serve. Remove the baking dish from the water bath and let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. A dusting of cinnamon on top is welcome but not required.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 195 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 75mg