France, 17th century. The dish appears in Francois Menon's 1691 cookbook as creme brulee. There is a long-running dispute with Trinity College Cambridge, which claims the dish as Cambridge Burnt Cream. The brulee technique — caramelised sugar crust — is definitively French.
Creme brulee is custard — set cream enriched with egg yolks, flavoured with Tahitian vanilla, baked at 150C until the centre barely trembles, chilled overnight, then finished with a caramel crust of white sugar burned to a glass with a blowtorch or salamander. The distinction between the cold, silky custard below and the shatteringly brittle caramel above is the entire point.
Sauternes — Chateau d'Yquem or a Barsac — the botrytised sweetness, apricot, and vanilla character of Sauternes is the classical pairing with creme brulee. The acidity in Sauternes cuts through the fat of the custard. The sweet-against-sweet contrast is the point.
{"Cream to yolk ratio: 200ml double (heavy) cream to 4 egg yolks — the higher fat content of double cream and the lecithin in yolks create a firmer, richer custard than using single cream","Infuse the cream with Tahitian vanilla (split, scraped, simmered with the cream then strained) — the floral, creamy character of Tahitian vanilla is more appropriate than the spicier Bourbon (Madagascar) variety","Temper the egg yolks: whisk yolks and sugar until pale, then add the hot cream slowly in a thin stream while whisking — add too quickly and the egg scrambles","Strain through a fine sieve before pouring into ramekins — this removes any cooked egg strands or vanilla pod fragments","Bake in a bain-marie at 150C: the water bath regulates the temperature around the ramekins, preventing the outside from overcooking before the centre sets","The custard is done when the edges are set and a 2cm circle in the centre trembles like jelly when the ramekin is tapped"}
The moment where creme brulee lives or dies is the caramel crust — the blowtorch technique must be specific. Hold the flame 3cm above the sugar surface and move in slow circles from the outside in. The sugar will liquefy, then bubble, then colour from amber to deep mahogany. Stop when the last pale patch turns amber — residual heat will finish it. Tap the surface with a fingertip immediately — it should ring like glass. If it gives, wait 30 seconds. The crust must be applied and the brulee served within 3 minutes — after that, the sugar absorbs moisture from the custard and softens.
{"Overcooking: a fully set, firm custard has been over-baked — the centre should tremble for at least 2 hours after removing from the oven","Too thick a sugar layer: one even teaspoon of white sugar per ramekin — more sugar creates a thicker, darker crust that tastes bitter","Brown sugar for the crust: produces an uneven, softer crust. White caster sugar caramelises to a harder, more glass-like finish"}