Glassy Crème Brûlée

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Time:

3h

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Loot:

(6) 6-oz ramekins

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I’ve had crème brûlée a handful times in my life…

But the one that stuck with me the most was at a French restaurant called, Mon Ami Gabi, back in 5th or 6th grade. School was winding down, the air was getting fresher, and of course, it was time for the one of the things 11-year-old boys love most: clothes shopping at Oak Brook Center. On a detour from our original plan (A belly full of Italian food seemed like a good idea to stress test new jeans), we decided to try out the new French spot. (It’s in Lincoln Park now with the rich hipsters. Go try it!)

It was a wonderful meal. Definitely blindsided by the price (it was pre-2020, of course — not as bad back then), but the experience was so worth it. Good salmon, great French onion soup, but what really stole the show for me was dessert.

I remember getting a little peek at the kitchen as the waiters hustled in and out with their trays through the swinging doors. I saw these shallow ramekins burning like candles, as the dessert line just blasted them with these dramatically bright kitchen torches. And the result? Did they taste like ash, gasoline, or char? Nope. Ironically, the flavor was how I’d imagined a frozen pond. A glassy, amber surface, hiding a pool of cold, silky-sweet vanilla custard.

The first time I tasted it, I was smitten by the flavor, but I also wondered for a second: how was something that had literally been on fire just moments before, taste so refreshing and mellow? It was a mystery I thought I’d never solve. It was just something I’d have to leave to the pros.

Nah. I’ve got my own kitchen torch now. If you’re old enough to play with matches, let’s get to work.

Word to the Wise

• If you don’t have ramekins or crème brûlée dishes, that’s alright! A coffee mug or any sort of small, heatproof bowl will do.

• Make sure you fill the water bath (bain-marie) with BOILING water. The water in the tub is actually what does most of the work. It transfers heat more slowly and consistently than hot oven air, and the steam that it will releases from the boiling water a little more quickly will help your crème brûlées turn into a soft, evenly cooked jiggly pudding — not a curdled mess.

• The center should *jiggle jiggle* but the edges should fold. Ok, I said the thing. Moving on. Check for doneness with your creme brûlées by gently tapping the edges of the water bath or the ramekins.

• If the whole thing ripples, it needs at least 5 more minutes. If there’s no movement in the ramekins, well…maybe make some caramel because now you have flan. It’ll still taste good, though.

• If you don’t have a butane torch? Haha, loser! (Just kidding). A candle lighter or even a cigarette lighter could work just fine. BUT…

• Keep your hands at a good distance away from the flame. The sugar on top ignites fast, thanks to the combustion reaction that carbohydrates (like sugar) undergo. Stay safe!

• Move the flame around in a circle to make sure it glasses evenly. Sugar browns fast, and there’s only so much you can brûlée the top until it turns carcinogenic black. So sure to move the flame around so you see brown bubbles everywhere. Make Walt and Jesse proud!

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 5 egg yolks

• ½ cup sugar

• ⅛ tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place your heavy cream into a saucepan over medium heat and stir until it almost comes to a simmer (you’ll see bubbling on the rim). Take it off the heat and immediately stir in your vanilla.

3. In a stand mixer bowl with the whisk attachment, beat together your egg yolks, sugar, and salt on high until it falls into thick, pale ribbons.

4. Take your bowl off the stand mixer, and grab a spatula or hand whisk. Carefully and gradually drizzle in your simmered milk, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Only do a little at a time. When the mixture cools, takes a uniform shape, and thickens (it’ll be harder to stir), you’re ready.

5. Start boiling some water here if you don’t have access to an electric kettle.

6. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a measuring cup, and pour in your crème brûlée batter. It should fill roughly two cups. Divide your batter equally into (6) 6-oz ramekins, and place them into a 9x13 baking pan/dish (one of those pyrex brownie trays could work too).

7. Fill the dish about halfway with your boiling water. Put your dish in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are set, but the centers have a slight jiggle when you tap the pan (with mitts of course, please don’t be an idiot).

8. Transfer your ramekins to a wire rack and cool to room temp for about 15 minutes. When it’s all the way cool, seal the tops with cling wrap and chill your creme brûlées in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Final Prep

1. Take your creme brûlées out of the fridge and sprinkle about 1-2 tsp of granulated white sugar across the top. Swirl it around to spread it evenly.

2. Get out a kitchen torch or lighter and ignite on a low setting. Hold the flame to the sugar on the tops of the ramekins in a circular pattern until it bubbles to a lightish brown amber color.

3. Let the sugar set for at least 60-90 seconds until it hardens (think glass blowing).

4. Enjoy!