Julia Child’s Creme Brûlée

Smooth and creamy, you will savour every bite and then wonder if you should have another one!!

Julia said “YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO HEAT IT UNTIL IT THICKENS!!”

4 cups Heavy cream
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean
7 Egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
3/4 cup Sugar

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Place 8  6-ounce baking dishes in a large roasting/casserole pan.

In a medium saucepan, combine cream and half of the sugar (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons). Scrape vanilla seeds into pan then add pod. Head over medium just until mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan, 7 to 8 minutes (do NOT let boil) LET IT THICKEN.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar ( 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons), and the salt.

Use a ladle to pour a small amount of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk to combine. (This is called tempering and prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add two more ladles of cream mixture, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Gradually whisk in remaining cream mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a large liquid measuring cup (to remove the vanilla pod and and any cooked bits of egg).

Divide custard evenly among baking dishes, they will not rise in the oven so you can fill them full enough just to leave room on top for the sugar after they are done. Place pan in oven. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake until custards are just set (they should tremble slightly in center when shaken), 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Use tongs to carefully remove dishes from hot-water bath and place on a wire rack for 30 minutes. (I didn’t use tongs) Cool completely. Then cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days) before serving. The custards will finish setting in the refrigerator. If you like, transfer the custards to the freezer 15 minutes before serving to ensure they stay cold after being bruleed (this is especially important if you use the broiler). Invest in a good kitchen torch, you can use it for other things, like roasting peppers!!

Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over each custard. Working with one at a time, pass the flame of the torch in a circular motion 1 to 2 inches above the surface of each custard until the sugar bubbles, turns amber, and forms a smooth surface. Serve immediately.