Cooking Flan: Covered or Uncovered?

[Shel_B]

This weekend we made flan, or, more precisely, Toots made flan and I helped, and learned.

 

Now, when Toots makes her flan, she makes it in a ring pan (if that's the right nomenclature), and she covers the pan with aluminum foil.  In looking at other recipes on line, all of which are fairly similar, some call for covering the pan or the ramekins, and other recipes don't.  Since all the recipe ingredients are similar, I can't help but wonder what the pros and cons of covering the pan/ramekins are?  Why cook one way or the other?

 

Also, when using ramekins, some recipes say to cover each individual ramekin, and others suggest covering them all with one large sheet of foil secured to the vessel that holds the water bath.  What's up with that?  How does covering the individual ramekins effect the results as compared to covering the entire water bath vessel and ramekins with one sheet?

 

Thanks!

[RWood]

I was taught to cover my custards when baking.  Creme brulee, flan, pot de creme, etc.  It keeps moisture in and prevents the custard from browning on top. I've seen it done with both foil and plastic wrap.    

Now, my assistant bakes the brulee's  where I work now.  He doesn't cover anything.  The tops do brown a little, but they are caramelized, so it doesn't really matter.

Obviously, it isn't necessary, and I've seen a lot of recipes that just say to place in water bath and bake.  I think it's personal preference.  

I think covering each individual one is just a waste of time.  I've always done it in a hotel pan, usually about 15 ramekins, and cover with foil.

[pastrygirl]

I only cover my custards if my only option is to bake them in a convection oven, to protect them from the hot wind. I bake them low enough (275F) that browning isn't a problem. I suppose covering the hotel pan with foil even in a still oven would help make a more uniformly moist environment and reduce the chance of a dry skin forming on top. Covering them individually seems like a pain. How are you going to check for done-ness? More trouble than its worth, IMO.

[Franci]

The one dessert I've been thought to cover well is the pot de creme, since you don't unmold and want a shiny surface.