Creme Brulee

Silky vanilla custard under a shattering crust of torched caramelized sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for the tops
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F. Heat the cream with the vanilla bean and its scrapings until just steaming, then remove from the heat and let infuse 10 minutes.
2. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until pale. Slowly whisk in the warm cream, then strain the custard to remove the vanilla pod.
3. Divide among six ramekins set in a baking dish. Pour hot water into the dish to come halfway up the ramekins.
4. Bake until the custards are just set but still jiggly in the center, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the water bath and chill at least 3 hours.
5. Before serving, sprinkle an even layer of sugar over each custard and caramelize with a torch (or under a hot broiler) until the sugar melts and hardens into a crisp amber crust.

Notes

Adapted from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook; he loved the contrast of cold custard and hot crackling crust.