Abade Priscos Pudding

For the caramel:
Heat sugar with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over high heat, without stirring. When sugar reaches an amber color, reduce the heat to medium. Be careful not to burn. As soon as it has the desired color, reduce the heat to minimum and then carefully add 1 tablespoon water. Stir and remove from the heat.

Pour over the pudding pan (6.7 inches, 17 cm or 1.6 liters, with lid), making sure the entire bottom is covered with this lovely caramel.

For the pudding:
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Then add sugar, bacon, cinnamon, and lemon peel. Put in a thermometer, if you have one. Slowly let syrup reach 103ºC or 217ºF (thin thread stage).

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 250ºC or 482ºF. Pass egg yolks through a sieve.

In another pan, heat Porto wine over medium heat. Let it reduce by half while it perfumes your kitchen! Then remove from heat and let it cool.

Add cooled reduced wine to yolks, stirring as little as possible so as not to lose the color of the yolks. When syrup reaches 103ºC or 217ºF, remove from heat and pass it through a sieve. Let it cool slightly.

Add yolks to the syrup, pass it through a sieve again, and then pour over the pan covered with caramel. Cover the pan with 2 sheets of aluminum foil, seal well, then cover with the lid. Place in a pan with water that goes up halfway up the sides of the pan (bain-marie) and bake for about 1 hour.

Let it sit, on a wire rack, until it is almost cold in the center of the pan or until lukewarm in the center. Unmold. It’s best after some hours in the fridge.

Notes:
1. The smoked bacon must have lard and be well salted.
2. The yolks should be fresh and not pasteurized so as not to compromise the texture, color and flavor of the pudding.
3. I used Tawny Porto wine.
4. If needed, add water to the bain-marie while baking (I didn’t need to).