Ingredients
Custard
- 600 mldouble cream
- 6egg yolks
- 100 gcaster sugar
- 1vanilla pod, split
- a pinch of salt
To finish
- 6 tbspcaster or demerara sugar
Directions
- Heat the cream with the split vanilla pod and its scraped seeds to just below boiling, then take it off the heat and infuse for 30 minutes.
- Whisk the yolks with the sugar and salt until only just combined. Do not beat air into them, because bubbles rise during baking and leave a foamy layer across the surface.
- Pour the warm cream onto the yolks slowly, stirring rather than whisking, then strain the mixture.
- Skim any foam off the surface before you fill the dishes, which is the difference between a glassy top and a pitted one.
- Pour into shallow ramekins and set them in a roasting tin.
- Pour hot water into the tin to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- The bain-marie is not optional. Baked dry, the edges set and split long before the centre thickens, and the custard curdles.
- Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 30 to 40 minutes, until set at the edges and still wobbling as a single mass in the middle.
- Take them out while the centre still moves. They go on setting as they cool, and a custard that is firm in the oven will be rubbery cold.
- Cool, then chill for at least 4 hours.
- Scatter an even layer of sugar over each and burn it with a blowtorch until deep amber, or under a very hot grill with the dishes sitting in ice.
- Rest for a minute so the sugar hardens, then serve. It should crack cleanly under the back of a spoon.
Technique
- A recipe appears in François Massialot’s court and bourgeois cookbook of 1691, already finished with a hot iron.
- Cream rather than milk, and vanilla rather than citrus, are what distinguish it from crema catalana.
- Demerara gives a thicker, more toffee-ish crust; caster sugar gives a thinner and glassier one.
Substitutions
- Vanilla bean paste in place of a pod, added off the heat.
- Half milk and half cream for a lighter custard, which will set a little softer.
Variations
- Infused with coffee, cardamom or lavender.
- With a spoonful of fruit compote hidden beneath the custard.
- Made in one large dish and cracked open at the table.
History
A recipe for crème brûlée appears in François Massialot’s court and bourgeois cookbook of 1691, already finished with a hot iron.
Frequently asked questions
What is Crème brûlée?
Crème brûlée is a dessert from France: chilled vanilla custard beneath crackling burnt-caramel crust. A recipe for crème brûlée appears in François Massialot’s court and bourgeois cookbook of 1691, already finished with a hot iron.
How long does Crème brûlée take to make?
Crème brûlée takes 20 min plus 4 hr chilling of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Crème brûlée?
Yes, within limits. Vanilla bean paste in place of a pod, added off the heat. Half milk and half cream for a lighter custard, which will set a little softer.
What is the most important thing to get right in Crème brûlée?
Whisk the yolks with the sugar and salt until only just combined. Do not beat air into them, because bubbles rise during baking and leave a foamy layer across the surface.
