precarious panther

If there is one dessert I can never turn down when dining out it is Crème Brûlée. Crème Brûlée is a custard dessert with burnt caramelised sugar on top made with either a blowtorch (as we usually do) or by flambe with a liquor.

This recipe is incredibly simple to make. We sourced it from a fantastic chef who cooked for us in the old Barrington Tops Guest House prior to it burning down. Most other recipes call for baking the ramekins with custard in an oven, however we prefer the creamier texture produced by precooking the custard in a pot and then letting it set in the fridge. The Brûlée needs about four hours to set in the refrigerator, so make them ahead of time.

We make these often as they are my favourite desert – getting the custard to the right consistency can take a bit of practice. If you prefer a runnier custard, don’t cook it for as long in the pot. Likewise, if it comes out too runny make sure you cook it for long enough.

Ingredients

The Best Crème Brûlée

600ml fresh cream 12 Egg Yolks (save the whites for pavlova!) 150g Caster Sugar

Directions:

1. 

   Lots of Eggs!

   Separate all of the egg yolks from the whites.

2. Pour the 600ml’s of fresh cream into a medium sized pot and heat over low heat until it is simmering (*not* boiling)
3. Whilst the cream is warming, whisk together the caster sugar and egg yolks in a large, heat safe bowl. This will take about three minutes (until the mixture becomes a lighter yellow colour rather than orange)
4. Temper the hot cream a small amount at a time into the sugar/egg mixture, stirring consistently. Don’t pour the hot cream in quickly as this will cook the yolks.
5. Transfer the entire mixture back into the pot and heat it over the stove on low heat, stirring constantly.
6. Once the mixture has thickened (will only take about five minutes) to the point of covering the back of the spoon, quickly transfer it into ramekins.
7. 

   Filled Ramekins

   Place all of the ramekins in the fridge for at least three hours to set. The longer they are left to set the better, so if you can prepare them the day before you should.

8. Just prior to serving, sprinkle a teaspoon of caster sugar over the top of the custard. Tilt/tap the ramekin to cover the sugar evenly over the top.
9. Using a blow torch (or alternatively under your oven’s grill) brown the sugar so that it caramelises evenly over the top.
10. Serve Immediately, whilst the burnt sugar is still warm.

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