Crème Brulée

This is a classic bistro dessert, made of a cooked, set custard, topped with a crisp layer of hard caramel.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes (+ 1 hour cooling time)
Serves: 3

Preheat the oven to 150°c.
Measure out the sugar and the egg yolks into a large mixing bowl.
Stir the yolks and sugar together with a wooden spoon, trying to incorporate as little air as possible, there should be very few bubbles in the mixture. Absolutely do not whisk it.
Put the cream into a pan and heat it until it begins to boil. Then take the cream off the heat and, while slowly stirring the sugar and egg yolk mixture, carefully pour in the cream.
Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug to remove any lumps.
Put the ramekins into a roasting tin and pour the mixture into them. Then take your blow torch and torch the surface of each ramekin for about 3 seconds each (this will remove any bubbles on the surface).
Put the roasting tin into the oven and then pour enough hot water into the roasting tin to come half way up the sides of the ramekins (take care not to spill any water into the crème brulée mixture).
Cook them in the oven for about 30 minutes until they have just set. There should be a slight wobble at the centre of the crème brulée.
Remove the crème brulées from the oven and allow them to cool naturally for about 1 hour.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the sugar on top of each crème brulée. Then, using a blow torch, melt the sugar until it has turned a dark brown (start around the outside of the crème brulée and keep the blow torch moving all the time).
Serve.

Can it be frozen? No.
Can it be prepared in advance? Yes, up to 3 days to stage 9.
Will leftovers be nice? Yes, for up to 3 days, but the sugar on top will be runny.

- To add a further depth of flavour, you can add the seeds from a vanilla pod to the cream when heating it during stage 4.

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