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Crème caramel, also known as flan in many parts of the world, lands in the custard category for good reason — it's built almost entirely on eggs. That, along with milk, cream, and sugar, was all Hugh Jackman's mom needed to lay out the steps in her handwritten recipe. First, caramelize the sugar in a small pan. Pour it into the dish and swirl it around the bottom and sides before it sets. Then mix the eggs and sugar, stir in the warm milk and cream, and bake everything in a roasting tin filled with hot water — the bain-marie — until the custard sets. Once cooled and chilled, it's turned onto a plate, where the caramel runs down over the custard in a thin layer.

The result is a silky, lightly sweet custard with a soft set and a layer of caramel that spills over the top when unmolded — bitter, glossy, and absolutely delicious. Versions appear everywhere — from France to Spain to Latin America — but the structure stays the same. There's comfort in that kind of consistency.

For Jackman's mom to write it all out by hand — and for him to pull it off years later in his own kitchen — says something about the kind of food that stays with you: Just done right — and done with love.