It's always Hispanic Heritage Month at the FIU Bistro

Chef Patricia Falcon loves to cook, especially when others enjoy the dishes she makes. As an adjunct culinary professor teaching an advanced food and beverage operations class at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, both students and guests get to see and taste her recipes on Wednesday nights when her students run dinner service at the FIU Bistro, an award-winning restaurant on campus.

"My Cuban heritage plays a vital role in my cooking, bringing the rich, vibrant flavors of Latin spices to every dish I create," Falcon says.

That's why this month, Falcon, who is also a 2019 Chaplin School graduate, is sharing a dish she created based on a Cuban favorite and that has now become a must-have dessert on the menu. It's called the Bacardi Ocho Flan, made with eight-year, barrel-aged Bacardi Reserva Ocho rum - a nod to the Bacardi Center of Excellence, the school's exclusive educational partnership with the iconic, Miami-based spirits brand BACARDÍ.

The flan as well as her malanga tacos are staples on the FIU Bistro menu. Malanga is a root vegetable used in many Hispanic households and that Falcon uses in place of white or corn flour in her housemade taco shells.

Falcon adds that she always insists on infusing her culture into the menu. "It's a way of honoring my roots while sharing the warmth, soul and passion of our culture through food."

Bacardi Ocho Flan 

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 can condensed milk
Water (use the empty condensed milk can to measure)
Sugar (for making caramel - see caramel recipe below)
1.5 oz of Bacardi 8

Instructions:

1. Beat the eggs and additional yolk, add a tablespoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt, and incorporate the can of condensed milk.
2. Fill the empty can with water, incorporate it to the mixture and then add an additional one-third can water and the Bacardi 8.
3. Mix well and set aside while preparing the caramel (see recipe below).
4. Once caramel has set in your chosen container(s), pour the flan mixture over the caramel.
5. Cook the flan in one of two ways: using a pressure cooker for 20 minutes (best when making one large flan); or using a water bath in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until mostly set but still a bit jiggly.
6. Refrigerate the flan overnight and unmold the next day.

Caramel Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions:

1. Place a clean, dry heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
2. Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan.
3. Allow the sugar to melt without stirring. You can swirl the pan gently to ensure even melting. This may take about 5-7 minutes.
4. Once the sugar has completely melted and turned into a golden-brown caramel, remove the saucepan from heat immediately to prevent burning.
5. Carefully pour the caramel into your desired container(s) – one deep 9-inch round glass or ceramic baking dish OR approximately 15 4-ounce ramekins – rotating to distribute the caramel evenly.
6. Allow caramel to cool for approximately five minutes, or until set, before continuing with the recipe above.