Firstly, if it’s been around for centuries and is still being made, and secondly, if you can find more or less the same dish in different cultures.
Often, the classic dishes that meet my criteria are simple ones. At least the concept of them is simple, the execution may be deceptively tricky.
Take creme brulee as an example.
The French have been making it since at least the 1600s (the first recipe with that name), but it’s also known as a crema catalana in Spain where they have been scoffing it down since the 1300s.
In 1879, it was introduced to Cambridge University’s Trinity College with the English name of Trinity cream.
No matter what you call it, it is a simple concept when you describe it – a bowl of custard with a caramel top.
Easy, right? Ah, but too often the custard is rubbery and the caramel layer is less an enticing addition that balances the soft, rich and creamy custard with a delicate layer of crunch that has a slightly bitter flavour, and more of a ‘‘prototype for a new bulletproof glass’’ that sends you into hypoglycaemic shock.
One downside is that, unless you’re able to get your hands on a brulee or branding iron, you need a small blow torch to do a decent job on the caramel.
You can pick these up relatively cheaply from the likes of Mitre 10 or Bunnings, or you could put the request out for a Christmas present. They also come in handy when making things like a lemon meringue tart.
This recipe and method of making a creme brulee at home works almost flawlessly, or has for me so far.
If you would like to alter the flavour of the custard, the easiest thing to do is to change the milk.
Wanting a coffee brulee? Change the lemon zest for some crushed coffee beans or coffee powder to the milk.
Looking for a ginger dessert? Grate some ginger root into the milk and strain it out before adding the sugar and eggs. You get the idea.
The key bit is to keep the ratio and the method the same.
Lemon creme brulee
- 500ml cream
- 100ml milk
- 90g sugar
- 100g egg yolk
- Zest of 1 lemon
Method
Bring the cream, milk, and lemon zest to a boil. Transfer to a bowl or container and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
Add in the sugar and mix it in. Try not to aerate it as you want a creamy finish rather than a foam. Then add the egg yolks. Ideally you want just a little egg white in there as well, so don’t be too fastidious at getting the yolks perfectly free of whites.
Rest in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, but overnight is great.
Heat the oven to 100degC.
Pour the mix into oven proof moulds. You want something that isn’t too deep as you want to have a good ratio of caramel to custard. A thin puddle of custard to a sheet of caramel is equally unappealing.
Place a pan of water at the bottom of the oven and, on a different shelf, place your creme brulee in as well. Bake for 90 minutes.
The custard should look almost set. It will still have a jiggle but not a wobble. As in, it will all jiggle rather than a part of it wobbling.
Refrigerate again for a few hours to chill it down and help it set completely.
When you serve it, bring it from the fridge, spread a good layer of sugar on top and smear it over the surface evenly.
Now comes time for the blowtorch. It should go without saying but this next bit is dangerous. Please keep a wary (and sober) eye on what you’re doing as burns or worst case, fires, are best avoided.
Make sure your brulee is on a not flammable surface. Start with the torch further away from the sugar than you think is needed, and slowly work your way closer. Move the flame around the sugar and, as it melts and caramelises, adjust how much heat you give it and when to stop altogether. Turn the torch off.
That’s it, you’ve now made a creme brulee which, hopefully, is soft and creamy under a thin but hard caramel shell. Enjoy.
- Kevin Gilbert is co-owner of Gilbert’s Fine Food in Dunedin. He is a trained chef and baker who also runs cooking classes. If you have a question, email him at: kevin@gilbertsfinefood.co.nz
