Last year I took my family to south-west France, driving north from the border with Spain all the way to Normandy, and I think I ate a creme brulee in each of the restaurants and bistros along the way.
Most were excellent. Several of the restaurants we visited had Michelin stars, including one that had three stars.
I had the best dessert, however, at one of the restaurants at the end of the trip in Normandy. The custard was perfect in texture - silky smooth and just set - the vanilla and sugar were perfectly balanced and the caramelised top was paper-thin and perfectly cooked. I put this down to the quality of the cream; after all, Normandy makes some of the best dairy products in France.
Creme brulee
Serves 4
450ml whipping cream
1 vanilla pod
6 egg yolks
70g caster sugar
Set the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2.
Add the cream to a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways, scrape out the seeds and add them to the cream along with the pod. Bring the cream to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks and sugar together then pour the cream over the yolks and whisk until combined. Pass the liquid through a sieve and divide the mixture evenly between four ramekins, pouring until the ramekins are three-quarters full. Place the ramekins in a deep-sided roasting tray and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place the tray in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until just set.
When they are ready, remove the ramekins from the water and allow them to cool before refrigerating overnight.
Once ready to serve, evenly sprinkle the surface of each creme brulee with caster sugar and place them under a very hot grill for one minute or until the sugar is caramelised to a deep golden brown. Alternatively, use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar. Serve immediately.
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