Leche flan is the Filipino version of French creme caramel. This easy to make custard is slowly baked in a water bath and chilled overnight before eating. The leche flan is served with candied kumquats.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, melt sugar over medium heat. Do not stir sugar. Instead, stir pot around to even melt sugar. Cook until sugar is rich golden brown in color. Remove from heat and carefully pour melted sugar into a round 8-inch cake pan. Set aside to cool and harden.
In a large bowl, add eggs, egg yolks, condensed milk, evaporated milk, zest, vanilla, and set. Use an immersion blender to process until just smooth. Do not overmix. You do not want the eggs to foam up. (Alternatively, use a blender.)
Pour mixture into caramel lined cake pan. Cover with foil. Set cake pan into a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan halfway with simmering water. Place in the center rack of oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the edges of the flan is set but the center still slightly jiggles.
Carefully remove cake pan from water bath. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 2 hours. Once cooled, let chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Run a butterknife or mini offset spatula along the edges of the cake pan to loosen flan. Place serving plate over cake pan. Quickly invert flan into serving plate. Garnish with candied kumquats. Serve chilled.
Rinse kumquats. Slice off stem. Slice kumquats into 1/4-inch rounds. Discard any seeds. Set aside.
In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, bring water, sugar, and honey to a boil. Once sugar has dissolved, add sliced kumquats. Reduce to a simmer. Allow fruit to simmer for 10-15 minutes until softened and almost translucent. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Transfer kumquats and syrup to an airtight container. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use. Will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.