Crème Brûlée
The allure of crème brûlée, French for “burnt cream,” lies in its apparent contradiction: a topping of sugar, singed to golden brown, crackles over a cool, creamy-smooth custard. To achieve that silky consistency in baked custards, it’s critical that the oven temperature be regulated (to be both even and gentle). This is why the custard molds are set in a bain-marie, or hot-water bath, made by pouring water around molds into a roasting pan, which insulates the custard from hot spots in the oven. Another precautionary measure is to eliminate any excess bubbles in the custard after it is poured into the ramekins (just before baking). These bubbles will rise as the custard bakes, causing holes to form in the top. To get rid of them, pass the flame of a kitchen torch briefly over the liquid in the ramekins. Don’t worry if some remain, since the tops will be caramelized, hiding any imperfections.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8
Ingredients
For custard
For topping
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare oven and baking dishes Heat oven to 300°F. Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Place eight 5-ounce baking dishes in a large roasting pan.
Step 2
Gently heat cream In a medium saucepan, combine cream and half of the sugar (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons). Scrape vanilla seeds into pan, then add pod. Heat over medium just until mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan, 7 to 8 minutes (do not let boil).
Step 3
Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons), and the salt.
Step 4
Temper eggs Use a ladle to pour a small amount of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk to combine. (This is called tempering and prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of cream mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining cream mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large liquid measuring cup (to remove the vanilla pod and any cooked bits of egg).
Step 5
Bake Divide custard evenly among baking dishes. Place pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake until custards are just set (they should tremble slightly in center when shaken), 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 6
Chill Remove pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove dishes from hotwater bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days) before serving. The custards will finish setting in the refrigerator. If you like, transfer the custards to the freezer 15 minutes before serving to ensure they stay cold after being brûléed (this is especially important if using the broiler).
Step 7
Caramelize tops and serve Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar over each custard. Working with one at a time, pass the flame of the torch in a circular motion 1 to 2 inches above the surface of each custard until the sugar bubbles, turns amber, and forms a smooth surface. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Step 8
For this recipe, the custards are baked in traditional brûlée dishes, which are shallow (1 inch high) and wide, to allow more surface area for caramelizing the sugar; any individual-size baking dish can be used instead.
Step 9
You will need a roasting pan to set the ramekins in to create a bain-marie.
Step 10
A small kitchen propane torch works best to “brûlée” the tops of each custard; you can use your broiler, but it’s far more difficult to control the heat and to cook the sugar crust evenly (and to achieve the same degree of caramelization).
