For those of you who know me, know that I lost my sweet tooth as a child. I'll choose salt over sugar anytime, any day. Crème brûlée however is not overly sweet, and a classic that no one can resist - even me!
I'm just going to come out and say it, I make the best crème brûlée. Every single recipe I have ever come across is misguiding us in the directions - they all ask you whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. What happens is the friction of the sugar slightly cooks the egg. In my recipe, you'll dissolve the sugar in the cream, resulting in the silkiest crème brûlée ever. Crème brûlée is very simple to make, yet very impressive.
Tools: I recommend a standard blow torch from the hardware store. It costs the same as a small kitchen torch, but has more juice and less likely for the flame to go out if you invert. Besides, you never know when you might need to solder some metal. You could also use the broiler from your oven but that's not as fun.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
-3 cups whipping cream
-2 vanilla beans*
-8 egg yolks
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1/4 tsp salt
-extra 6 tsp of sugar
-6 ramekins, or small coffee cups
-large baking disk or pan with at least 1 1/2 inch lip
- Slice the vanilla beans lengthwise. Using the back of your knife, scrape out the pods from both sides. The pods look like a fine black paste. Repeat with other bean.
- Over medium-low temperature, heat the cream with sugar, salt, vanilla beans, and the pods. You want the cream just below a simmer, with the slightest steam. Do NOT boil.
- Separate 8 egg yolks (see tip below), saving egg whites for another recipe. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks until they are slightly paler and thicker.
- Scoop out a cup of the cream from the pot. While whisking the egg yolk, very slowly drizzle in the cream. This is called tempering. Basically you want to bring the egg temperature up, so when you add the rest of cream you don't end up with curdled eggs.
- Remove the vanilla beans from the pot.
- Slowly pour in the remaining cream while continuing to whisk.
- Using a fine sieve, strain the entire mixture into a large jug with a lip.
- Cool in the fridge for at least an hour. This can be made up to 2 days in advance.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Boil a kettle of water.
- Place ramekins or cups in a large baking dish. Pour cream mixture into the ramekins/cups.
- Carefully pour boiling water into the baking dish, about halfway or 3/4 up the sides of the cups.
- Place pan in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until they just barely jiggle when the cup is tapped with a spoon.
- Remove pan from the oven. Keep cups in the water bath in the pan for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove cups and cool in the fridge for at least 3 hours (up to 2 days) before serving.
- To serve, sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar into each cup. Tilt each cup to distribute the sugar evenly. Broil in the oven, or carefull1y torch to caramelize the sugar. Be careful not to touch the top of the cup once broiled (it's hot!).
Separating eggs: I recommend you have 3 bowls handy. One small bowl to separate each egg over. One large bowl for the egg yolks, and one bowl for the whites. The small bowl is a safeguard in case you mess up and pierce the yolk, you won't have to start over. Separating with your fingers is the safest/easiest way especially if you're a beginner. The yolk will sit on your fingers and the egg white will strain away.*Vanilla beans are usually sold in small glass tubes at the grocery store. Average price is about $8 for two, but I recommend going to Bulk Barn where they're about $5.
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