Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Recipe by the book

I like many of you who enjoy cooking, I like to experiment. This is one recipe I can honestly say I did not deviate one bit.

Creme Brulee is a favorite of mine, not so much husbands. In our past life we frequented one restaurant quite often. We knew the owner quite well and he introduced us to the chef. Come to find out he was a neighbor and we became fast friends. His creme brulee was very close to this recipe. Mark always said I was his best customer for his creme brulee.


Creme Brulee Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

8 comments:

Deborah Eley De Bono said...

I'll make this but someone give me a recipe for the egg whites. I can't bear to toss them.

barb said...

How long can egg whites be kept? And wonder why Mr Brown does not mention that in the recipe. Look in his book.

wheresmymind said...

Anytime a blowtorch can be used in cooking is a great thing!

Cottage Kid said...

Doug liked using the blowtorch on food things in the kitchen however I can't remember what it was!Duh...

maltese parakeet said...

egg whites? macaroons.

La Vida Dulce said...

Is there anything more delightful than cracking the top of a creme brulee? And leftover egg whites? How about a lemon meringue or key lime pie? Or a sweet or savory souffle? Egg whites can be kept for a week in a tightly covered plastic container in the frige. Or freeze them in an ice cube tray, then pop them into a ziplock bag. Keeps for about a month. I vote for the French macaron Japonaise!

barb said...

great ideas for egg whites and honestly I had no idea they could be kept that long or even frozen.
Thank you thank you

Anonymous said...

Dangnammit, I still need to go get my blowtorch replaced so I can try some of these awesome recipes for creme brulee!! :(