Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 8
Caramel
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup water
Custard
3 cups milk
¾ cup sugar, divided
1 vanilla bean, halved (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat oven to 325 F. Place a small bowl of cold water and a pastry brush near the stovetop. In a medium bowl, prepare an ice water bath. Place eight 4-ounce ramekins in a large roasting pan. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
Caramel
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, mix sugar, lemon juice and water. Do not stir again. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar mixture is amber in color, about 6 minutes. Use the pastry brush, dipped in the water, to constantly brush down the sides of the pan inside to prevent crystals from forming. Remove from heat and immerse pan in ice bath for 3 seconds to stop the caramel from further cooking. Dry off the bottom of the pan. Working quickly, pour about 1 tablespoon of the caramel into the bottom of each ramekin, swirling to evenly coat. (It does not have to be perfect!)
Custard
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add milk, half of sugar and vanilla bean. Heat until just before boiling—bubbles will form around the edges of the milk. Do not let milk boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, remaining sugar and salt. Discard the vanilla bean from the milk. In a process known as tempering, add a ladle of the hot milk to the egg mixture and whisk vigorously to combine. Repeat with another ladle of milk. Gradually whisk in remaining milk. Strain through a sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and place in the oven. Add enough boiling water to pan to come half-way up the sides of ramekins.
Bake 35 minutes until custards are just set—but still slightly shaky in the center. Using large tongs, carefully remove ramekins from the hot water to a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. To unmold, run a sharp knife around the inside of each ramekin. Place a serving plate over the top of each and quickly invert (to prevent caramel from dripping out). Gently lift the ramekin to remove. Serve immediately.
Chef’s tips
Use extreme caution when cooking sugar! To avoid spills and potentially nasty burns, make sure the pan handle is not sticking out into your work path.
Tempering is a process of adding hot liquids to eggs to keep the eggs from cooking. It is accomplished by whisking—vigorously—a small amount of the hot liquid into the eggs. This raises the temperature of the eggs gradually so they will not coddle.
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