SIMPLE ELEGANCE
Creme brulee is a dessert staple in most fine-dining restaurants in the country. It is simply custard, made with nothing but eggs, cream and sugar, along with a little vanilla. But that caramelised layer of sugar adds unmistakable elegance to what is essentially just custard. Here’s how you get the balance between simplicity and class right. 8 extra-large eggs
cup sugar, plus extra sugar for caramelising 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup half-and-half Preheat oven to 300°F. Separate the eggs. We only use the yolks for making creme brulee. You can save the whites for other recipes, like making an egg-white omelette. Beat the eggs with a whisk for a minute or two, until they’re very smooth. Add the sugar and whisk for about two more minutes, or until the sugar is fully incorporated and the yolks are a pale shade of yellow. Now add the vanilla and whisk until blended.
Add the cream and half-and-half and whisk until blended.
Carefully pour the egg and cream mixture through a wire strainer into another bowl. Straining the custard filters out any eggy bits to ensure a nice, smooth consistency. Fill a large roasting pan with an inch or two of warm water, and place your empty ramekins into the pan. The water should come about halfway up the ramekins. Baking the custard in a water bath (called a bain-marie) keeps the air in the oven moist, and prevents the creme brulee from cracking.
Carefully pour the custard into the ramekins. Fill all the ramekins about halfway, then top up each one a little at a time. That way, you won’t run out of custard before they’re all full. Transfer the roasting pan into the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the edges of the creme brulees are set but the centres just barely jiggle when you nudge the pan.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the creme brulees cool in the water bath for 30 minutes or so. Then remove the creme brulee, place them on a flat sheet pan or tray, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least four hours, up to overnight.
About 20 minutes before you’re ready to caramelise the tops, remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator.
Gently dab away any moisture condensation on the creme brulee tops with a paper towel, being careful not to dent them.
Sprinkle the tops of the creme brulee with granulated white sugar. Make sure you cover the whole surface, and swirl the ramekins to distribute the sugar evenly. Shake off any excess sugar. Ignite your torch and carefully apply the flame to the sugar, keeping it constantly in motion. The sugar will start to liquefy, and then turn into caramelcoloured. When a nice, hard glaze forms, you’re done. Pop the creme brulee back into the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so before serving them, just to rechill them after they’ve been heated the torch.
You can serve the creme brulee just as they are, and they’ll be absolutely delicious. But a few fresh berries or other seasonal fruits and a dusting of powdered sugar is a nice, ele
gant touch.
by You do not want the tops of the custard to brown while baking then keep the top away from the heat source. If the oven has a top heat source, you may want to place a cookie sheet on the top rack to protect the tops from exposure to the top heating element.