Crème Brûlée

Name: Crème Brûlée
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 30 min
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 600 ml (2½ cups) heavy (double) cream; 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped, or 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla bean paste; 6 large egg yolks (about 110 g); 75 g (⅓ cup + 2 tsp) superfine (caster) sugar; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 45 g (3 tbsp) granulated or demerara sugar, for the tops; boiling water, for the water bath

Silky vanilla custard under a glass-thin sheet of caramel

Makes: 6 ramekins (150 ml each)
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 5 h 30 min
Level: Some skill

Rich vanilla custard, baked gently in a water bath until it barely sets, chilled, then topped with sugar caramelized to a crackling crust. The contrast between cold cream and warm, brittle caramel is the whole pleasure, so torch it just before serving.

Ingredients

600 mlheavy (double) cream (2½ cups)
1vanilla pod, split and seeds scrapedor 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla bean paste
6large egg yolks (about 110 g)
75 gsuperfine (caster) sugar (⅓ cup + 2 tsp)
1 pinchfine sea salt
45 ggranulated or demerara sugar (3 tbsp)for the tops
boiling waterfor the water bath

Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-free
Allergens: egg, milk
Origin: France

Method

Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Set six 150 ml ramekins in a deep roasting pan lined with a folded kitchen towel (to stop them sliding).
Heat the cream with the vanilla pod and seeds until steaming and small bubbles form at the edge, then take it off the heat, cover and infuse 15 minutes. 20 min
Whisk the yolks, superfine sugar and salt in a bowl just until smooth; don't beat in air. Remove the vanilla pod and pour the warm cream into the yolks in a slow stream, stirring constantly.
Strain through a fine sieve into a jug and skim off any foam. Divide among the ramekins.
Pull out the oven rack, set the pan on it and pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the ramekins. Slide in carefully.
Bake 30–40 minutes, until the custards are set at the edges but the centers wobble like jelly when you nudge the pan, and read 77–80°C (170–176°F) in the center. 35 min
Lift the ramekins out of the water, cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes, then chill uncovered for at least 3 hours. 3 h 45 min
Just before serving, blot any moisture from the tops with paper towel. Sprinkle each with 1½ teaspoons of sugar in an even layer and tilt to coat. Caramelize with a kitchen torch, moving it steadily, until the sugar melts and turns deep amber. Rest 2 minutes for the caramel to harden. 2 min

Why it works

Egg yolk proteins thicken cream as they set between about 70 and 82°C; beyond about 85°C they tighten and curdle. The water bath can't get hotter than boiling, so it surrounds the custards with gentle, even heat and stops the outsides from overcooking before the centers set. Chilling firms the custard further, and a thin, even layer of sugar caramelizes quickly before the heat can warm the cream below.

Common mistakes

Too hot an oven or no water bath, which gives a grainy, bubbly custard.
Baking until firm. It sets more as it chills; pull it with a wobble.
A thick sugar layer, which burns on top while staying gritty beneath. Keep it thin.

Variations

Under the grill: No torch? Put the sugared ramekins on a tray very close under a preheated grill (broiler) for 1–3 minutes, watching constantly. The custard warms a little more.
Orange and cardamom: Infuse the cream with the zest of 1 orange and 4 crushed cardamom pods instead of vanilla.