Simple Crème brûlée The Egg again!
#7
  Re: (...)
The subject of dessert comes up around our house a lot. Both my wife and I enjoy Crème brûlée so I make a lot of it. And make many many variations. Most come out good, a few come out great, once and a while you get a spectacular, and sometimes it hits the trash can!

Since we live in a valley we are pretty protected from a lot of the harsh weather. This enables the fall raspberries to bear fruit for a long time. So I decided to exploit the remaining fall red raspberries for this dessert.
[Image: raspchamb.jpg]

I start by reducing some raspberries down, adding in a cup of sugar, 1/4 of honey and 1/4 of Chambord, I will add a little water if the sugar wants to stick. After it starts to simmer I add a 1/8 tsp salt.

[Image: reducing.jpg]

Once the reduction is complete I have to strain those seed out of the infused fruit jelly. Then line the French White bottoms with the jelly and allow it to cool completely while I prepare the custard.

[Image: strainedrd.jpg]

If this was a top layer I would use a torch to burst the air bubbles out of the fruit jelly. But since they are a bottom offering, no reason to spend a lot of time on a few bubbles. They sure look very nice against that French White.

[Image: frenchwhtrasp.jpg]

Now onto the custard. Few things pisses-me-off more than not taking the time to do the custard correctly. You have a dish here were the egg is the main character. So take the time to remove the chalazae and the yolk membrane. Have a quart of heavy cream, 1 cup vanilla sugar, 1 Tahitian
vanilla bean, split and scrapped, and 6 egg yolks, prepared properly.

[Image: yolkcream.jpg]

Bring the cream and everything else except the eggs to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and all to cool below 185 F degrees. Once it has cooled a little you can start to temper the eggs. Once an egg yolk is tempered it will not coagulate until it reaches 185 F.
Which means this custard needs protection while in the oven. That is where the water bath comes into play. Surrounded in water, the French White allows the heat transfer without the yolk custard coagulating from the higher 350 F heat of the oven.

[Image: waterbath.jpg]

I am just using a round cake pan to form that Bains Marie for the custard setting process. Always add the water last. And I always add hot water. I think it keeps the top from being exposed to the 350 F oven longer than necessary.

When they come out of the Bains Marie if you have done it correct they should look like this.

[Image: smbrulee.jpg]

Now I had a little more custard than I thought. Actually I swapped location on my 3.75 and 4.25 French White Cups so I was using the smaller cups leaving some extra. Since I sacrificed a Tahitian Vanilla Bean for this custard I am going to turn it all into something to eat. So I pulled a
couple of my large flat French Whites and filled them and cooked them off in a Bains Marie as well.

[Image: lgbrule.jpg]

Now to finish this dish you have to add the magic! The magic is burnt sugar. For this dish to taste correctly you have to chill this custard down to 36 F or so in the reefer. Then you pull, sugar and burn!

[Image: cremesugrd.jpg]

You will here all kinds of sugar types and mixtures recommended for this dish. People want part brown sugar, some want turbinado, some want ultra-fine, etc etc. I don't care what you use, I use straight white cane sugar. My favorite to do this dish with and I like the top. Most
people are trying to avoid the burnt part. I like the burnt sugar, it really adds to the dish. Anyway whatever sugar you like, you put the torch to it.

[Image: torching.jpg]

Now you go round and round until all the granulated sugar has been liquefied then do the other one. Now when it is done there can be no granulated sugar anywhere on this thing. Period, end of discussion, NONE, bring it to me with a granule of sugar, you did it wrong! It should look like this when you complete it. But see that hole on the one on the left? That has to be hit again with the torch. That is uncooked sugar and is not allowed.

[Image: done.jpg]

Now I mentioned that the custard had to be chilled. Part of the magic of this dish done correctly and served on time is the temperature contrast. You have this incredible silkiness of the custard that is cold, you have this
upfront sugary, burnt marshmallow taste, this warm sugar caramel, this crunchy mouth feel wrapped in the silkiness, and raspberry and vanilla oh my! It is just plain heaven!

'til we talk again, make a nice custard dessert. The egg is the best priced protein we have in the world. Get out there are use it. It performs for breakfast, dinner, supper, and dessert! It is a perfect food!

Chef Bob Ballantyne
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering
Grand Junction, Colorado, USA
Chef de Cuisine
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

USMC Sgt 1979-1985
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#8
  Re: Simple Crème brûlée The Egg again! by bbally (The subject of desse...)
Good morning Bob.

What were you doing up a 3:30 am posting this???

Anyway, it looks super as always. I just love your pictorials! I get so much from them. I have never attempted to make Crème brûlée. I would try it this evening but my daughter has her first night of girl scouts. I have to get those little cups too. I am pretty sure I have a blow torch around here somewhere.

Oh, and I was at Cowboy and the Rose Catering website the other day. Very interesting, different locations, great dishes. Wish I lived closer.
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
Laura
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#9
  Re: Re: Simple Crème brûlée The Egg again! by luvnit (Good morning Bob.[br...)
Beautiful! I made almost the identical raspberry creme brulee for a small gathering I had here not to long ago and it turned out beautifully.
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#10
  Re: Re: Simple Crème brûlée The Egg again! by luvnit (Good morning Bob.[br...)
Quote:

What were you doing up a 3:30 am posting this???



Must have wanted to read by the light of the blow torch.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#11
  Re: Re: Simple Crème brûlée The Egg again! by labradors ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
My son said the restaurant where he worked put the torched brules in the freezer for about 5-10 seconds. That really hardened the crust. I only make it about once a year, but I always throw it in the freezer for a few seconds.
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#12
  Re: Re: Simple Crème brûlée The Egg again! by lxxf (My son said the rest...)
Quote:

My son said the restaurant where he worked put the torched brules in the freezer for about 5-10 seconds. That really hardened the crust. I only make it about once a year, but I always throw it in the freezer for a few seconds.




So you are adding this to the freezer just to harden the burnt sugar? I mean you are using the freezer to set the sugar? But pulling it to allow for the temperature contrast game played in this dish.
Chef de Cuisine
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

USMC Sgt 1979-1985
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