Vanilla Crème Brûlée

Vanilla crème brûlée takes only a few ingredients: cream, egg yolks, sugar and one vanilla bean for 500 ml of cream, or 1 g of vanilla caviar. The secret: very gentle baking, then a thin caramel layer torched just before serving.

Ingredients (6 ramekins)

• 500 ml heavy cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar
• 1 Black Gourmet vanilla bean, or 1 g vanilla caviar
• 6 teaspoons light brown sugar for the caramel

Time: prep 20 minutes, baking 1 hour, chilling at least 3 hours.

Preparation

1. Split the bean and scrape out the seeds. Heat the cream with the bean and seeds until it just simmers, then cover and let infuse off the heat for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 100 °C (212 °F).
3. Whisk the yolks and sugar together without letting them get foamy.
4. Remove the bean and pour the hot cream over the yolks, stirring gently.
5. Divide among the ramekins and bake for about 1 hour: the custard should be set at the edges and still slightly wobbly in the center.
6. Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
7. Just before serving, sprinkle each custard with a thin layer of brown sugar and caramelize it with a kitchen torch.

How Much Vanilla?

If using caviar, add it to the cream when you heat it. To learn more: how many beans per recipe.

The Producer’s Tip

For a more fragrant custard, let the bean infuse in the cold cream overnight in the refrigerator before heating it. Once removed, rinsed and dried, the bean can still be used to flavor sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions