Creme Brulee

Mila

Mila

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Who makes this?

I get the sugar caramelised on the top but only a thin layer. With the blow torch.
The ones i have eaten in restaurants have this thick caramel top. How do i do this?
 
You can get a thick layer using castor sugar and a torch on soft (wide and reasonably cold).

You can gently add castor sugar as the thin layer melts, be careful not to burn it.

Restaurants sometimes use salamanders to melt the sugar, you can use try grill with lots of castor sugar if you are adventurous, but you need to keep an eye on this, it burns EASILY

And (we can probably have a religious debate about this) the caramelised sugar must be thin, less is more and all that, I love it when the spoon just slides through into the custard instead of having to hammer away through an ice-cap ;)
 
Mila -- would you care to share your recipe / method for making the creme brulee
I've not had much luck (tends to clot)
 
@ Brendan you can get the same effect with a "fresher" taste by adding orange zest to the cream and heating it with the vanilla pod before mixing the cream and the yolks.

Filter the zest out, don't let the mixture boil ever
 
You could also caramelise the sugar in a pan or whatever, then just pour it over. Not strictly correct, but it does the job. Very easy to make the layer too thick, though.

Easiest way to make creme brulee (this is from memory, so don't shoot) in tip-form:
1) fresh cream + egg yolk + vanilla essence, beating it until smooth
2) use a deep dish with water, and bake with your ramekins submerged as high as they are filled
3) DO NOT let this water boil
4) I find the best results are obtained when it is chilled overnight (best consistency and texture)
5) I also find the best results are obtained when the sugar is caramelised JUST before serving (so don't caramelise and add BEFORE chilling).
 
cernunnos said:
@ Brendan you can get the same effect with a "fresher" taste by adding orange zest to the cream and heating it with the vanilla pod before mixing the cream and the yolks.

Filter the zest out, don't let the mixture boil ever
Click to expand...

Cool. I take it you do this for a living?
 
No I just love cooking, worked in a kitchen when I was a student and never stopped liking it after that.

Basic recipe is like sn3rd said, just to add some detail:
4 egg yolks (get fresh, this really influences the taste)
2½ cups (single) cream, again as fresh as you can get
3 dessert spoons castor sugar (roughly 35ml)
vanilla pod
extra castor sugar for topping

Score the vanilla pod lengthwise with a sharp knife. Chuck this in a pot with the cream. You can use the knife to remove some seeds from the pod, stir the seeds into the cream to enhance the flavour. Heat the pot on your lowest possible setting (must never boil).

In a separate container gently mix the sugar and yolks. A lot of people will tell you to make sure that it doesn't foam, this is unimportant as you can scoop the foam off later.

When the cream is just above body temp, pour it through a sieve and mix it well with the yolk and sugar mixture.

Scoop the foam off, pour the mix into ramekins, leave about 1cm at the top.

Put the ramekins in a dish, fill the dish with boiling water up to the level of the custard.

Stick this in an oven set to 140ºC, leave for approx 30 - 40mins (test after 30 mins by gently shaking a ramekin, if the centre wobbles but the sides seem firm then it is done, if the whole thing wobbles keep going for another few minutes and test again).

Chill (overnight is good). If you've had onions / garlic / raw meat / similar in your fridge, cover the ramekins with glad wrap first ;)

Just before serving, sprinkle a light layer of castor sugar over the top. Caramelise with a blowtorch, taking care not to burn it (move the torch continuously, keep it far away, be patient)

Eat. At least one person should go "yussus man!"

Serves about 4, depends on the ramekin size
 
BTW: thin layer is right - thick is common as #$ck.

Same with cappucino - South Africans crave these 'Mt. Vesuvius' piles of steamed milk... have a caffe anywhere in Europe and there is only the thinnest layer of silky steamed milk, it is NOT supposed to be piled up high.

The Afrikaners have a good expression to describe this, interesting cos they are mostly the one who are most aptly described by it: 'niks gewoont.'
 
Nah, I disagree. Make it the way you like it, drink it the way it makes you happy.

If you like thick caramel, then enjoy it, thick / thin is unimportant, with food the *right* way is the way that makes you happy.

In fact, make it just for yourself, not for guests, and enjoy the process and the food just for what it is
 
cernunnos said:
Nah, I disagree. Make it the way you like it, drink it the way it makes you happy.

If you like thick caramel, then enjoy it, thick / thin is unimportant, with food the *right* way is the way that makes you happy.

In fact, make it just for yourself, not for guests, and enjoy the process and the food just for what it is
Click to expand...

Hippy.
 
LOL @ hippy :D

No man, enjoying food leads to drinking better wine, which leads to having better lovers and so forth ;)
 
sn3rd said:
You could also caramelise the sugar in a pan or whatever, then just pour it over. Not strictly correct, but it does the job. Very easy to make the layer too thick, though.

Easiest way to make creme brulee (this is from memory, so don't shoot) in tip-form:
1) fresh cream + egg yolk + vanilla essence, beating it until smooth
2) use a deep dish with water, and bake with your ramekins submerged as high as they are filled
3) DO NOT let this water boil
4) I find the best results are obtained when it is chilled overnight (best consistency and texture)
5) I also find the best results are obtained when the sugar is caramelised JUST before serving (so don't caramelise and add BEFORE chilling).
Click to expand...

yummy i might just go and make some tonight!
 
Why not just eat scrambled eggs with sugar on top. Tastes the same doesn't it?
 
cernunnos said:
You can get a thick layer using castor sugar and a torch on soft (wide and reasonably cold).

You can gently add castor sugar as the thin layer melts, be careful not to burn it.

Restaurants sometimes use salamanders to melt the sugar, you can use try grill with lots of castor sugar if you are adventurous, but you need to keep an eye on this, it burns EASILY

And (we can probably have a religious debate about this) the caramelised sugar must be thin, less is more and all that, I love it when the spoon just slides through into the custard instead of having to hammer away through an ice-cap ;)
Click to expand...
TX

texo said:
Mila -- would you care to share your recipe / method for making the creme brulee
I've not had much luck (tends to clot)
Click to expand...

600ml cream
5 egg yolks
50ml castor sugar
1 vanilla pod
Pinch of salt

Split the pod add to cream and scald ( heat on medium heat until tiny bubbles form on the outside of the cream) Take of heat. Strain.

mix egg yolks and sugar and salt
Then pour a small amount of cream with the eggs while whisking, very important to keep on whisking, slowly add the cream mix to the egg mix a bit at a time. When all mixed up place ramekins in a baking tray place in oven add just boiled water up to half of the ramekin. Bake at 150 for 30min.

Then do the sugar thing shown above :D
FYI:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpr9lDltc24
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5838853936019495074

They explain nicely.
My ingredients is just from the food and home magazine.

Oh another good tip is to put a cloth at the bottom of the bay marine to stop the ramekins from moving when the water starts boiling.


SlinkyMike said:
: 'niks gewoont.'
Click to expand...
:( No i'm not a sweet thooth but i like caramel. And not the condensed milk type : Tamaletjie.

Waaib said:
Why not just eat scrambled eggs with sugar on top. Tastes the same doesn't it?
Click to expand...
That is just disgusting and not the same:eek:
 
I make creme Brulee quite often and I like a nice thick layer of sugar on the top. There are two ways of doing this. One is to melt the sugar in a pan first and then pour on top. the problem with this method is that the sugar is so hot, it can melt the creme. A trick to minimise this is to put some sugar on top and use that as an insulation layer.

The other method is the torch method. Different people like the brulee to be burnt / not burnt to different degrees. I like it caramalised with maybe a LITTLE of it closer to burning. Getting a nice thick layer is more about knowing how to do it. I put a lot of sugar on top and then melt it from one side to the other. You start in a corner and then work your way to the middle. Once the edge is done, turn the holder thing away from you so the flame is hitting the next portion that you want to brulee but some of the heat is also hitting the rest of the sugar. Just keep melting away and if it looks like a specific piece is about to burn, move the heat away from it and brulee another section until is has cooled down. Its a skill. I think the key is putting enough sugar on top and knowing how the sugar will behave. Sugar abosorbs the heat and once it starts to burn, its already too late because the residual heat in the sugar will still cause burning. You just have to learn the knack! Its however not the worst thing in the world to practice!!

Also, what I like to do is once teh cream has been boiled and the vanilla steeped, I add the eggs and make the custard in the microwave. It takes some practice but if you put it in for short bursts makign sure to stir, you can use the microwave w/out the risk of making scrambled eggs.
 
Last edited:
Thanx Natas!! I'm going to practice..... my tummy will not like it but i'm making some more this weekend :)
 
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