AS THIS vanilla cream melts in your mouth followed by the tantalising caramel, one can’t help but wonder where it originated from.
History would be defined by the first creme brû* ée printed recipe which was found as early as 1691 in a cookbook named Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois by Francios Massialot.
This recipe has been delighting royalty for over 300 years.
Creme Brûlée
2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp caster sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 vanilla pod or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
For the topping 6 tbsp caster sugar
Method
Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together until mixture becomes creamy and pale yellow in colour.
Remove the seeds from the vanilla pod by slicing the vanilla pod open and scraping the seeds out of the pod.
Heat the cream and vanilla seed (or vanilla extract) in a saucepan over a medium heat until the cream starts bubbling around the edges.
Slowly add the hot cream, in small quantities to the egg mixture, whisking the mixture all the time.
The mixture will thicken slightly, keep whisking.
Pour mixture into 6 ramekins and place ramekins into a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the pan. The water should cover at least 2/3 of the ramekins.
Bake at 160C for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool. Place in the fridge for one hour.
When ready to serve, sprinkle a generous layer of caster sugar over the top of the desert.
Hold the blow torch just above the sugar and keep moving it to caramelise the sugar.
Allow to stand for five minutes before serving.
@flyingchantel