Flan Cubano

Marta Darby’s Flan de La Reina is her family’s Cuban caramel custard. Sweetened condensed milk and water form its milk mixture, with one whole egg, four egg yolks and vanilla extract. Cinnamon finishes the custard before it is baked.

Sugar is heated with a few drops of water and a squeeze of lemon juice until the caramel becomes golden brown. The mould is coated with the caramel, which is left to cool completely into a smooth, hard layer.

The condensed milk and a can of water are mixed together before the beaten egg, yolks and vanilla are added. The custard passes through a sieve as it is poured into the caramel-coated mould, removing large pieces of egg white; cinnamon is sprinkled on top.

The covered mould bakes in an external hot-water bath. The flan cools completely before refrigeration and chills for at least an hour before serving. A knife loosens its edge, and it is inverted onto a platter large enough to hold the caramel.

Darby describes the flan as a Christmas Eve fixture in her Cuban family. Making it with her mother gives her another occasion to hear a family story about her grandmother’s nightly flan in Manatí, Cuba, and the small tin can used as its mould.