Breathe no air
Stir the egg yolks and sugar until smooth, but plenty of foam will cause bubbles and an uneven surface instead of a silky cream.
French Recipe
Crème brûlée
Cream, vanilla and egg yolk are mixed to a smooth cream and gently whisked in shallow ramekins in a water bath. After completely cooling, fine sugar is removed just before serving.
Total time
5 hr 10 min
Calories
430 kcal
Servings
6 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Why this recipe works
Vanilla cream with crisp caramel crust
The appeal of crème brûlée lies in the contrast between a cool, silky cream and a warm, brittle sugar crust. Air bubbles and excessive heat would make the surface uneasy. Therefore, the mixture is not beaten foamy and baked in a water bath only until the centre still shakes slightly.
French Recipes
Recipe
Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée combines a smooth vanilla cream with a wafer-thin, freshly caramelised sugar crust that audibly breaks when spooned.
Ingredients
6 servings
Method
-
1
Allow vanilla cream to infuse
Cut the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the vanilla seeds. Heat the vanilla seeds, pod and cream slowly but not boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
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2
Stir in the egg yolks.
Whisk the egg yolks, 75 g sugar and salt until smooth with a whisk without adding much air. Slowly add the warm cream, stirring constantly.
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3
Cream pass
Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a measuring cup. Remove any foam from the surface and spread the cream on six flat, ovenproof ramekins.
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4
Bake in a water bath
Place the ramekins in a deep pan and pour in enough hot water to put about half of them in it. Bake at 150 ° C / 350 ° F / gas mark 4 for 35 to 40 minutes, shaking the centre slightly.
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5
Cool completely
Remove the moulds from the water bath, allow to cool to room temperature and then chill in the fridge, covered, for at least 4 hours.
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6
Caramelise sugar
Pat the surface dry and sprinkle evenly with the remaining sugar. Caramelize quickly with a kitchen torch until an amber crust forms. Let set for one minute and serve immediately.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Crème brûlée
Thin sugar layer
Too much sugar becomes bitter in places before everything melts. A thin, even layer caramelizes faster and breaks clean.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Let two wide strips of organic orange zest and vanilla infuse in the cream and remove before mixing.
Dissolve two teaspoons of instant espresso powder in the warm cream and reduce the amount of vanilla to half a pod.
Nutrition per serving
430kcal
28.0 gCarbohydrates
6.0 gProtein
33.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Crème brûlée
The edge is agglomerated, but the centre still moves like soft jelly when shaken slightly. When cooled, the cream becomes completely firm.
The hot water distributes the heat gently and evenly, causing the yolk to stiffen without curdling or drying on the edges.
The well-cooled ramekins can be placed very briefly under a very preheated oven grill. Always observe so that the cream does not become warm and the sugar does not become bitter.
Cover and keep the baked cream in the fridge for up to two days. Caramelize the sugar immediately before serving, otherwise the crust will rest moisture and become soft.
The oven temperature was usually too high or the baking time too long. Also, boiling hot cream can cause the yolks to curdle selectively during mixing.
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