Crème Brulée a la Vanilla RECIPE
I have been in Scotland since 1995, serving crème brulée ever since. The only thing that has changed in our recipe is the eggs: we have been using duck eggs now for a decade. I find them richer and healthier to work with.
Crème brulée, in my opinion, should be flavoured with vanilla and nothing else. I have come across so many variants - even a bisque one! I don’t mind a chef wanting to be creative but please add fruit, white chocolate or spices if you want to be creative. I will only ever use vanilla pods. The best crème brulées are made with the best cream, the best eggs and the best vanilla.
Makes 4
Ingredients
6 duck eggs
One or two vanilla pods
100g caster sugar
400ml cream
40ml milk
20g demerara sugar
Method
Pre-heat oven to 100°C.
Bring the milk to boil in a pan. Split the vanilla pods in two, and with a small knife, scrape the inside to remove the seeds and place all of it into the boiling milk. Immediately cover with a lid and remove from the heat. The vanilla should not be boiled, but used a bit like a tea bag.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick. Pour in the milk, whisking all the time, then add the cream and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Skim the foam from the top and remove the vanilla pods.
Place four ramekins or small oven-proof dishes in a roasting tray and pour in enough hot water from the tap to come about 1.5cm up the sides of the dishes. Stir the custard well and pour the mixture into the ramekins and cook for approximately an hour in the oven. To test if cooked, shake the tray slightly. The crème brulées should wobble slightly, but not be firm. Remove from the oven, take the ramekins out of the tray and reserve until needed.
Before serving, and only just before serving, sprinkle demerara sugar on the top of each crème brulée and carefully scorch with a blow torch on a medium heat until they are a golden colour. If you don’t have a blow torch, place under a hot grill.
This is a great dessert and will be a winner every time. A Montbasillac as a dessert wine would be great, but I would probably treat myself to a nice champagne to cut through the sweetness of the brulée.