Classic Creme Brulee with Madagascar Vanilla
6 servings
50 minutes
One of the most attractive surfaces is the brittle caramel crust on creme brûlée. And the creamy pudding that this fragile armor protects is the best company for strawberries, raspberries, currants and other fresh berries. Co-founder of the Carré Blanc restaurant, chef Eric Le Provost, helped us uncover the secrets of the hard crust on top and the black vanilla dots inside.
1
Add 180 grams of sugar to nine egg yolks (the whites are not needed) and whisk. The mixture will change color from bright yellow to sandy white. While whisking, be sure to incorporate the edges of the mixture — the yolks will slowly start to 'cook' due to the sugar, and if not removed, the taste of the crème brûlée will be incorrect.
- Chicken egg: 9 pieces
- Sugar: 180 g
2
Slice the vanilla pod lengthwise. Scrape the dark flesh from one half with a knife and mix thoroughly with the whipped yolks. Combine the mixture with cold cream and add salt. Strain through a fine sieve to prevent pieces of yolk, hardened by sugar, from getting into the crème brûlée.
- Vanilla: 1 piece
- Cream 33%: 700 ml
- Salt: 2 g
3
Place the ramekins in a deep ovenproof dish and fill with water so that the cups are submerged two-thirds of their height. Then pour the egg-cream mixture into the ramekins, filling them to the brim. Place the dish in an oven preheated to 100 degrees for forty minutes.
4
The top of the finished crème brûlée should be firm, while the inside remains slightly liquid. Place the bowls in the refrigerator for a couple of hours — the cream should thicken there. To achieve a caramel crust, sprinkle the molds with an even layer of sugar and, using a torch, turn the surface of the cream into a dark brown caramel lid.
- Sugar: 180 g
5
Leave the crème brûlée alone for a bit; in a minute or two, the caramel will set, and the dessert will be ready. Just take a spoon and, like in 'Amélie', break the caramel crust and scoop up the creamy mass with tiny black vanilla specks.