Crème Brûlée
Crème brûlée literally means 'burnt cream' and describes exactly the final step: a layer of sugar melted quickly into a glass-like crust over a cold vanilla custard. The recipe appears in French cookbooks as early as the 17th century, though similarly capped custards exist in Catalan cooking (crema catalana) and English cooking (Trinity cream), each claiming to have invented the technique first. The secret lies in the textural contrast, not just the flavour: the custard underneath must stay completely cold and smooth, while the sugar layer is caramelised right before serving, as close as possible to the moment it reaches the table. Made hours in advance, moisture from the custard softens the sugar and the shell loses that characteristic sound of glass breaking under a spoon.
Baked in a water bath
Gentle, even heat so the custard never curdles
Yolks only
No whites, for a dense, velvety texture
Caramelised right before serving
Sugar is torched, not baked
Cracks under a spoon
A thin, crisp shell over the cold custard
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500ml heavy cream (min. 30% fat)
- 1 vanilla pod (or 1 tsp extract)
- 6 egg yolks
- 80g sugar (plus raw sugar for caramelising)
- A pinch of salt
How to make it
- 1PREHEAT THE OVEN: set the oven to 150°C.
- 2INFUSE THE CREAM: put the cream, the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod and the empty pod into a saucepan, heat until nearly boiling, then remove from heat and let infuse for 10 minutes.
- 3Discard the pod.
- 4WHISK THE YOLKS: whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and salt in a bowl, just until combined — avoid whisking in excess air.
- 5COMBINE GRADUALLY: pour the warm cream over the yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly so the eggs don't scramble.
- 6STRAIN AND POUR: pass the mixture through a fine sieve, then divide between 4 ramekins.
- 7BAKE IN A WATER BATH: place the ramekins in a roasting tray, pour hot water halfway up their sides and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges are set but the centre still has a slight wobble.
- 8CHILL: let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
- 9CARAMELISE AND SERVE: sprinkle a thin layer of raw sugar over each custard and torch until golden and crisp.
- 10Serve immediately, while the shell is still hot.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
