->Creme Brulee 04 <-

150 gr. (5oz) caster sugar

10 egg yolks

4 vanilla pods

100 ml. (3 1/2 fl oz) milk

900 ml. (1 1/2 pints) double cream

demerara sugar

Mix the sugar and egg yolks together well in a bowl. Split the

vanilla pods in half and scrape the seeds out into the milk and cream in a pan. Add the pods too, and heat gently so that the full

flavour of the seeds and pods infuses the liquid. Pour the cream

and milk on to the yolks, mix well, then pass through a conical

strainer.

7 1/2cm/3 in

in diameter). Cook in a bain-marie of hot water in the oven preheated

275F/Gas

1 for about 30-40 minutes or until just set.

Allow to cool and set, then chill in the fridge. Sprinkle the tops

with demerara sugar, and glaze under a hot grill (or use a blowtorch).

Allow the sugar to set hard, then serve in the dish

In The Restaurant, we often make creme brulee in small round, eared

dishes (oeufs sur le plat). They are not cooked in a bain-marie as

50-60 minutes, very gentle cooking at

a very low gas. We sometimes use caster sugar instead of demerara,

and repeat the sprinkling and grilling for a particularly crunchy

topping. The cremes brulees can be made a day in advance.