Classic French Crème Brûlée Food

CLASSIC CREME BRULEE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, 1 tablespoon of sugar and the vanilla bean. Bring to a scald. Meanwhile, put the remaining sugar, rum and egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk just to blend. While gently whisking the yolks, drizzle the hot cream into them to gradually warm them up. Strain into a pitcher. Divide the custard among 8 ramekins. Skim any bubbles off the surface. Put the cups in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Tightly cover the pan with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes. They should still jiggle slightly but their surfaces should be set. Let cool to room temperature in the bath, then remove the custards and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, sprinkle on some sugar and melt with the tip of a propane torch flame.

VANILLA CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Put the cream, milk and vanilla pod into a pan and heat to boiling point. Cover and leave to infuse for 10 mins. Whisk the egg yolks and 3 tbsp of sugar together until pale and thick. Add the vanilla extract and pour the boiling cream onto the mixture. Stir well, then pour into two ramekins. Place the ramekins in a bain marie and cook in the oven for about 20 mins or until just set. Leave to cool.
• Heat the grill. Sprinkle the cold brûlée with a thin, even layer of sugar, and caramelise under the very hot grill (or use a blowtorch). Repeat several times until you have a golden crackling topping. Leave to cool and serve within 2 hrs with warm Almond puff pastry sticks (see below).

CLASSIC CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 325°F.
• Pour cream into a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Using tip of a knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean, if using, into cream and add pod (if using vanilla extract, do not add it yet). Heat cream over moderate heat until hot but not boiling; remove from heat and discard pod.
• Whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly until combined. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and whisk in vanilla extract, if using. Ladle custard into ramekins.
• Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan and add enough boiling water to pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until custards are just set, 25 to 30 minutes. With tongs, transfer custards to a rack to cool, then refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours.
• Just before serving, sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over custards. Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth close to sugar until sugar is caramelized. Let stand until sugar is hardened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Variation:
• Coffee Crème Brûlée: Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder into the hot cream and proceed as directed.