Crème Brulee
By Brian Goode

It has been said that one is supposed to pursue perfection, and yet, paradoxically, never achieve it, and that the satisfaction gained from said pursuit is the true reward. That sentiment nearly forty years ago began my culinary career, during a snow day off from school, with Julia Child’s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Unfortunately for yours truly, I did achieve perfection that day, in the form of a perfectly formed, perfectly flavored and textured crusty loaf of French baguette bread.  I say unfortunate, because, due to an extreme example of beginners luck, I now face the lifelong task of recreating something that was at its best when I was nine years old, and which has never been equaled since.

I’m sure that everyone has had their culinary pursuits. Some of mine over the years- Bolognese sauce, crab cakes, ice cream (forget it!), smoked salmon (I’m really close, but still open to suggestions); all types of barbeque, pie crust, meatballs, crème brulee (also very close). Happily, some of my initial efforts were so bad that there was nowhere to go but up, a direction which I have thankfully migrated. It’s the classics, the standards if you will, that intrigue me the most, and any improvement I can show preparing these items keeps me interested in cooking. Here’s a recipe that I am fairly happy with, and the “non-negotiable items” are the one’s which have made the difference for me.

Very Nearly Perfect Crème Brulee Recipe
(serves 5-6)

Ingredients

Non-Negotiable Items

275F oven (my oven- yours may differ)
Oval shaped fluted six inch porcelain ramekins
Sugar in the Raw
A propane torch
A fine mesh strainer
Hot water for a water bath
2 qt. non-reactive sauce pot
Thin wired whisk
A heavy casserole dish in which to cook the custards, or a flat bottomed sheet tray with a lipped edge

1 qt. heavy cream
2 vanilla beans, scored and scraped

12 egg yolks
1 egg
6 oz. sugar

Directions

Preheat an oven to 275F.
In the non reactive pan, scald the cream with the vanilla beans. Separately, beat the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in about 1/3 of the cream into the egg mixture, then immediately pour the egg mixture into the sauce pot, whisking all the while. Remove from heat immediately and allow to cool slightly, and then pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. This will remove any egg which has scrambled (hopefully there won’t be any, or at least not too much). At this point the mixture can be refrigerated and saved until you need to make the custards, if you like. Incidentally, this is the base for really good vanilla ice cream …

To bake the custards

Fill the ramekins about 7/8 of the way up, and place them in the casserole dish or sheet tray. Put the tray in the oven, leaving the tray slightly leaning outwards from the oven rack so you can pour in the hot water for the water bath. (It’s easier than putting the water in and trying not to spill it on the way into the oven). After the water has been added so that the level is about half way up the ramekins, push the tray into the direct center of the oven, and close the door quickly, so that the heat doesn’t leave the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the custard have set. They will still have a little jiggle to them if they’ve been done properly. They should be smooth and have no brown spots or bubbles on the surface. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. (Crème brulee has the most silken texture if it is finished when it is at or just slightly above room temperature) You can also wrap them and put them in the fridge for up to a week before finishing them.

Finishing the custards

This is the fun part. Spread some Sugar in the Raw to evenly cover the surface of the custards, and then fire up the propane torch. Melt, and then caramelize the sugar by directing the flame about 4-8 inches from the sugar, depending on how quickly it is caramelizing. When finished, it should have a thin veneer of brown to almost black sugar that crackles when your spoon hits the surface.

Brian Goode has been a chef and wine enthusiast for over thirty years, ever since his college days as a science major in Santa Cruz, California, and during his chef training at the Culinary Institute of America. During a Foodservice and Hospitality career in many areas around the country, he has received numerous awards for his cuisine, as well as several Wine Spectator Awards for his wine lists. He and his wife Joanne have been owners of Ye Olde Centerton Inn for seven years. He rarely declines an offer to talk about or taste wine and food.

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