Crème Brulee

The best dessert in the world is crème brulee. This has been scientifically proven by generations of right thinking people. It’s simple, has the most wonderful range of textures and is simple to make. Restaurants never seem to be able to leave this dish alone, always adding things like berries, rhubarb, and nuts.  At home we don’t have to ruin a perfectly good dish by attempting to display our inventiveness, and we can make the perfect, simple un-messed with crème brulee.  This is another dish where the preparation comes the day before leaving very little to be done on the day.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cream
• 8 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt

Method

In a good size bowl place all the ingredients.  Whisk to combine.

Pour this into a baking dish and place this dish into a roasting dish.

Add hot water to the roasting dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the brulee dish.

Bake in a still 130°C oven for 90 minutes or until set.

It’s also nice to bake these in individual portions. I use coffee cups, but the time is considerably reduced. Check they are cooked, by gently shaking one. If it is uncooked, the centre will wobble mightily; if cooked it will wobble slightly.

Remove from oven, cool and then refrigerate overnight.

To serve

Remove baked custard from the fridge and set about brulee-ing it as follows:

Cover the top with a thin layer of castor sugar.

Using a brulee torch from a kitchenware store, or a similar gas torch from the garage, work the flame over the sugar until it begins to liquidise and caramelise, move the flame slowly around the sugar, caramelisng in a wave as it goes.

It’s a knack. You can only get better at it with practice. 

(You can also place under the grill if you do not have a torch).