Flan de Leche Express
(flahn deh leh-cheh)
Nochebuena y Domingos en Familia: Rituals, Weekends, and Holidays
American restaurants will bake a flan in a water bath for over an hour, but the reality of the Cuban domestic kitchen is far more pragmatic. Decades before the electric multicooker sat on every suburban countertop, grandmothers relied on the stovetop olla de presión to get dessert on the table fast. This is the canonical, unembellished blueprint—canned milks, a handful of eggs, and a molten sugar crown—pressure-cooked in twenty minutes to a dense, silky perfection that tastes exactly like home.
Ingredients
- granulated white sugar3/4 cup
- water2 tbsp
- sweetened condensed milk14 oz
- evaporated milk12 oz
- eggs5 large
- pure vanilla extract1 tsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
Method
- 01
Melt the sugar for the caramel crown.
Place a 7-inch round aluminum cake pan (or traditional flanera) over medium-low heat and add the sugar and water. Do not stir it, or the sugar will crystallize; just gently swirl the pan until the mixture turns a deep, bubbling amber, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- 02
Coat the mold with the hot caramel.
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and, using oven mitts, carefully tilt and rotate it to coat the bottom and slightly up the sides with the molten sugar. Set it aside to cool and harden into a glass-like shell.
- 03
Gently whisk the custard base for a silky texture.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs just enough to break the yolks and combine them with the whites. Pour in the condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and salt, whisking smoothly to incorporate without whipping in any air bubbles.
- 04
Seal the mold tightly to lock out steam.
Pour the custard over the hardened caramel. Cover the pan securely with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, crimping the edges tightly so absolutely no condensation can seep in during the cook.
- 05
Pressure cook the flan in a water bath.
Pour 1 1/2 cup of water into the inner pot of an electric pressure cooker and insert the wire trivet. Lower the sealed flan pan onto the trivet, lock the lid, and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
- 06
Allow the pressure to release naturally, then chill completely.
Let the cooker depressurize naturally for 15 to 20 minutes before opening the valve. Carefully remove the flan, let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours—preferably overnight—to set the custard completely before flipping it onto a rimmed plate to serve.
Notes
The great texture debate.
This recipe uses a gentle whisking method to yield a dense, silky smooth (sedoso) custard. If you prefer the tiny, sponge-like holes (huequitos) that soak up extra caramel, simply blend the custard ingredients aggressively in a blender before pouring.
Don't fear the hardened caramel.
When the hot sugar hits the pan it will harden and crack like glass. This is exactly what should happen; the intense heat and moisture of the pressure cooker will melt it back into a luscious syrup during the cook.
Build a foil sling.
Fold a long piece of heavy-duty foil into a thick strip and place it under the flan pan before lowering it into the pressure cooker. It makes lifting the hot, sealed pan out significantly easier.
From Cook Cuban in America.