Crème brûlée appears in Thomas Keller's French Laundry, Robuchon's complete works, and every major French classical reference, though its precise origins are contested between France and England (Trinity Cream at Cambridge). What matters technically is the target: a custard set at the minimum possible temperature — barely holding together, trembling when the ramekin is moved — topped with a perfectly even, glassy caramel crust formed at the last moment.
A baked cream custard (cream, egg yolks, sugar, flavouring) cooked in a bain-marie at low temperature until just set, chilled, then finished with a thin layer of sugar caramelised under a torch or salamander immediately before service.
The contrast is everything: cold, silky, barely-there custard against the hot, bitter, glassy caramel crust. The custard must be flavoured delicately — vanilla, or a restrained infusion — because its purpose is to be the cool background against which the caramel performs. A strongly flavoured custard defeats the structure of the dish.
- The ratio is cream-heavy — crème brûlée uses yolks and cream, not whole eggs, producing a richer, more tender set than crème caramel [VERIFY ratio: approximately 5 yolks per 500ml cream] - Baking temperature must be low — 150°C or below in a bain-marie. Higher temperatures produce a bubbly, curdled custard [VERIFY temperature] - The bain-marie water must not boil — boiling water produces bubbles in the custard surface and uneven heat. Add boiling water to the bain-marie tray and maintain below a simmer - Doneness test: the custard should tremble like set jelly in the centre when the ramekin is gently shaken — it will firm further during chilling - The sugar layer must be thin and even — too thick and the caramel burns before the inner layers melt; too thin and it caramelises in patches - Torch at close range in constant circular motion — far torch produces uneven heat, stationary torch burns a single spot Decisive moment: The tremble test in the oven — the outer 2cm of custard should be set, the centre should tremble but not ripple like liquid. Remove at this exact point. Over-baked: grained, curdled texture with surface bubbles. Under-baked: liquid centre that won't set even after chilling. Sensory tests: - Correctly baked: trembles in the centre, set at the edges, no surface bubbles - Correctly caramelised sugar: deep amber, evenly coloured, cracks cleanly with the back of a spoon, bitter caramel note beneath the sweet
- Bain-marie water boiling — produces bubbled, uneven surface - Over-baking — curdled texture - Sugar layer too thick — burns without caramelising throughout - Serving without sufficient chilling — the custard tears rather than giving way cleanly under the spoon
PASTRY TECHNIQUES — Block 1