Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée
An egg-yolk custard baked in a water bath until barely set, then torched to order under a shattering layer of caramelized sugar.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Written
Method
-
Heat the oven to 325°F and set six ramekins in a roasting pan.
-
Scrape the vanilla seeds into the cream, add the pod, and warm over medium heat until steam rises and the surface just starts to shiver — don’t let it boil.
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Remove from heat, cover, and let the pod steep for 15 minutes, then fish it out.
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Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a bowl until the sugar disappears into the yolks and the mixture lightens in color.
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Whisking constantly, pour in the warm cream in a slow stream so the yolks temper instead of scrambling.
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Strain the custard through a sieve into a jug, then divide evenly among the ramekins.
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Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekins, being careful not to splash any into the custards.
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Bake until the custards are set at the edges but still wobble like gelatin in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.
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Lift the ramekins out of the water bath, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours or overnight.
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Just before serving, blot any surface moisture, sprinkle each custard with a thin, even layer of sugar, and torch until it bubbles and turns deep amber.
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Let the sugar harden for a minute or two before cracking it with a spoon.
Notes
The water bath is what keeps this a custard instead of scrambled sweet eggs — it slows the heat down enough that the yolks set gently instead of curdling. Pull the ramekins the moment the centers still jiggle; they firm up further as they cool, and an extra five minutes in the oven is the difference between silky and grainy.
No torch is fine — run the sugared ramekins under a hot broiler instead, watching them the whole time, since the sugar goes from melted to burnt in seconds. Make the custards up to two days ahead and torch only right before serving, or the sugar crust will weep back into a puddle.