Classic French Recipes | Crème brûlée

Go into most bistro-style restaurants in France and lurking somewhere on the dessert menu – at any time of the year – you are likely to spot a “house special” version of the classic custard pudding, crème brûlée. This creamy baked treat has a long history – it can be found way back in 1691 in a cookbook by François Massialot, the man who cooked for Philippe I and Duke of Orléans, no less

Other versions exist including crema catalane down in Basque country, while the English take on it is called burnt cream.

It’s a simple dish to prepare, and for maximum authenticity serve in a flattish clay dish and crisp up the sugar on top by placing it under the grill or, if you have DIY tools to hand, using a blowtorch! You can also vary the flavourings using berries or citrus fruits.



To make 8 servings:


Ingredients


One litre pouring cream (or a mix of single and double cream)
150g granulated sugar
8 egg yolks
A vanilla pod
100g demerara sugar



Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale in colour and thick.

Split the vanilla pod down the middle and add to the cream as you heat it up. Then remove from the heat and add the egg and sugar mixture.
Pour into ramekins or clay dessert dishes.

Cook in the oven in a roasting tray with about 1 inch of hot water in it for 30 minutes at Gas Mark 3/160°C.

Allow to cool, then just before serving sprinkle some of the demerara sugar over each dessert and caramelise the surface under the grill or using a blowtorch.

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Tuesday, January, at 12.30 by Katharine Barrau