Crème Brûlée
Signature Outcomes: These are the optimal qualities we are looking for when completing this recipe!
Color
darker, caramelized sugar topping
opaque, light yellow custard
Texture
Custard is thick, not runny, and firm with a slight jiggling when shaken. It is smooth and homogeneous throughout.
Crunchy, shatter-able top that is thin and crystallized.
Flavor
Custard is cool, creamy, and richly sweet.
Crystallized layer is sweet, crunchy, and should not be too thick as to dominate the flavor, nor too thin as to be insufficient.
Ingredients: Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
1 1/2 cups (355ml) heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (355ml) whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
7 large egg yolks (98g)
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
Just-boiled water, for the water bath
Raw or granulated sugar, for topping (see note)
Measured Ingredients, excluding the egg yolks.
Instructions: Steps from Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez, and narrative provided by Ally
In a saucepan, combine heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla bean/seeds, and salt. I used a paring knife to slit open the vanilla bean, and slid it along the length to remove most of its innards. I tossed the scraped out seeds and mostly emptied pod into saucepan, then stirred in the liquids.
This is where the Crème comes from! The black specks of vanilla are visible, the cooking allows the flavor to infuse the dairy. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. This took a bit longer than expected. The milk and cream mixture developed a slight film on the top as it heated, which I limited through stirring. Once it started to bubble a bit and steam, I moved it off the burner. While waiting, I cleaned my equipment and began preparing for the next steps.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325ºF (163ºC). I waited until about 40 minutes into my hour-long waiting period. I gave it another fifteen minutes before moving on.
In a large bowl, whisk yolks with granulated sugar until smooth. As the Serious Eats website explains, this step needs to wait until the dairy mixture is cooled and ready. If it is not ready, the sugar will absorb moisture from the eggs and clump---something very detrimental to the classic, smooth texture we are aiming for. As such, I completed the next step immediately.
I whisked in the sugar gradually, but quickly, for a thorough mix. Set a fine-mesh strainer over yolk mixture and pour cream mixture through; discard vanilla bean. Whisk custard base until thoroughly combined. This step took some precision due to the size difference between my strainer and pot. The straining removed the bits of film and clumps of seeds. I was able to pluck the vanilla bean strips from the bottom of the pan. The two mixtures blended well and fast, so there was not much whisking required.
Adding the dairy (featuring my itty-bitty-teeny-weeny-wire-mesh-strainer-thingy). Set six 4-ounce ramekins in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Divide custard base between the ramekins, filling them 1/4 inch from the top of the rim. I used a slightly larger dish than the recommended 9 x 13, and I cannot guarantee my ramekins are all actually 4 oz (I'm pretty sure they are). I arranged them in two rows and filled them with a ladle, which was very effective. I had a little less than a tablespoon remaining after each was filled, and I discarded it.
Pour just-boiled (not boiling) water (180º to 200ºF/88º to 93ºC) into baking dish until it comes 2/3 of the way up the ramekins, then transfer baking dish to middle rack of preheated oven. I poured the water straight out of the saucepan I had boiled it in. After boiling it during the cooling period, I had let it simmer for a few minutes, then took it off the heat as I was doing steps 4-6. I checked the temperature before adding it to the pan.
Explaining Chemical Reactions #1: The Water Bath--- Water comes to a boil due to the addition of energy that causes the molecules to speed up and thus grow warmer. Even when continued to be heated, the temperature will not exceed 212 degrees, and the water absorbs some of the heat (energy) going into the ramekins to ensure even cooking.
I very carefully placed the pan in the oven, as my previous lab indicates,
I do not have a great track record when it comes to putting glass pans in the oven.Bake until custards are just set (175ºF/79ºC to 178ºF/81ºC on an instant-read thermometer) Approximately 35 minutes. According to the Serious Eats website, and our signature outcomes, the custard should jiggle slightly without being liquid-y. I set a timer for thirty minutes and checked the temperature and consistency. As they were not ready, I gave them another five, then two.
The center of my custard registered around 175-176 degrees. The water bath has resulted in even cooking,
and the added moisture has aided the jiggly quality of the custard and prevented it from drying out.Remove from oven and transfer ramekins to a cooling rack. Allow custards to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. The contents of the pan were not what one would call stationary, or lightweight, but I managed not to spill the water or drop anything, which is more impressive than it sounds. I used silicone tongs to remove the ramekins, and spent the hour of cooling time losing to my grandfather at Bananagrams.
I put the custards on a raised cooking rack for more efficient and even cooling since the air can better go underneath. Explaining Chemical Reactions #2: Cooling and Setting --- Custards must be cool and firm enough to withstand the heat of the blowtorch without melting or becoming unpleasantly warm. During heating, the egg proteins move around and attach to each other, while the fat molecules get in the way, and prevent the custard from becoming a solid. Removing the custard from heat extinguishes the oh-so-exciting energy (also seen in the water bath) and the molecules settle where they are—partially solid, but not hard.Refrigerate until set, uncovered, at least 4 hours. I covered the ramekins, still on the cookie sheet, with plastic wrap, then let sit undisturbed while I pruned the garden, cooked, and ate dinner.
Let custards stand for 20 minutes at room temperature. This step is to prevent the difference between custard and topping temperatures being too drastic. When neither part is shocking to the mouth, the flavors are more noticeable.
The custard is firm, and the little bubbles around the edges that formed in the whisking are preserved,
but as a whole, the custard is solid and cool.Top the surface of each custard with an even layer of sugar. I used about 2 teaspoons of sugar per ramekin, and tilted and shook each one to keep it spread and level.
Use a butane blowtorch to pass a flame over the top of each crème brûlée, in circular movements. Keep the torch 1-2 inches from the surface of the custard. Continue until the sugar has caramelized and melted. To achieve our signature outcomes, the final sheet of caramelized sugar should be shiny and a medium golden color. The topping should crackle, and when eaten, the sugar glass will crack.
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