kentucky fried flan
As heard on NPR’s All Things Considered May 14, 2019
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When NPR learned that a KFC in Hialeah, Fla. was the only KFC in the world that bakes its own flan, we had to give them a call. There are more than 21,000 KFC’s in the world across more than 130 countries, but only one has this tasty, silky dessert on the menu. The secret recipe was invented by a chef who immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba. It’s been kept in-house ever since.
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I reached out to Dan Yagoda, the owner of the Hialeah KFC, and he was more than happy to share the flan’s origin story. Yagoda began cooking for the KFC when he was 23, and that’s where he met then-head chef Baldomero Gonzalez. Every once in a while, Gonzalez would make flan in the pressure cooker meant for frying chicken. Turns out, it makes the flan irresistible.
I also interviewed Claudia Bovea, the general manager of the Hialeah KFC. She spoke highly of the flan, sharing that people sometimes come with their own containers just to take extra home with them.
I recorded all the interviews, wrote the script, tracked it and laid up the story for air same-day. The result is a tantalizing little piece for your afternoon drive home.