Crème Brûlée 🍮

Method

1. 1

   Heat the cream with a split, scraped vanilla bean and a pinch of salt until it just begins to shimmer at the edges; pull it off the heat and let the vanilla steep while you prep.

2. 2

   Whisk yolks with white sugar only until pale and combined — beaten-in air is the enemy; you want a satiny custard, not a foam.

3. 3

   Temper: stream the warm cream into the yolks while stirring, then strain back into the pan so no chalaza survives into the cups.

4. 4

   Divide among shallow ramekins and set them in a roasting pan; pour boiling water halfway up the sides and bake at 150°C for 30 to 35 minutes — the centre must still wobble like jelly when you shake the pan.

5. 5

   Chill at least four hours, overnight is better; the custard finishes setting in the fridge and firms into silk.

6. 6

   Just before serving, dry the surfaces with a paper towel, dust with a thin, even layer of sugar and torch it to a deep amber lacquer; rest 5 minutes so the caramel hardens to glass, then crack it with the back of your spoon.