Crème Brûlée
2 min read
Serves
| 240 ml (1 cup)Heavy creamor half-and-half for a lighter set | steep10 min | temper1 min | bake in a bain-marie30–40 min | chill4 h | brûlée5 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ½ bean, splitVanilla beanor ½ tsp extract, stirred in off the heat | |||||
| a pinchSalt | |||||
| 45 g (2–3 yolks)Egg yolksweigh if you can — the true half of 5 yolks is 2½ | beat to a ribbon2 min | ||||
| 50 g (¼ cup)Granulated sugarplus 2 tsp for the tops |
Method
- heat the oven to 325°F (160°C)
- 10 minsteep Warm over low heat until steaming, then pull it off and let the bean infuse. Fish out the pod.
- 2 minbeat to a ribbon Beat the yolks and sugar until pale and thick enough to fall in a slow band off the whisk.
- 1 mintemper Whisk a quarter of the hot cream into the yolks, then return everything to the pan and stir to combine.
- 30–40 minbake in a bain-marie Divide between two 6-oz ramekins, set them in a baking dish, and pour boiling water halfway up their sides. They are done when set with a faint wobble at the centre — the ramekins are the same size as in the full batch, so the time is unchanged.
- 4 hchill Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until properly cold. They keep 2 days.
- 5 minbrûlée Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over each and torch, or broil 2–3 in. from the element, until the sugar melts and browns. Eat within 2 hours — the crust softens.