Crème brûlée: receta paso a paso (VIDEO)

Together with chef Héctor Ibarra, we prepared one of France's most traditional desserts: crème brûlée (or, in English, "burnt cream"). A smooth cream made with egg yolks, milk, and sugar, with a crisp caramel crust—and absolutely delicious!

Chef Hector Ibarra

The dessert known as "creme brûlée" in French is made from a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Preparing crème brûlée involves several steps, including the initial mixing and cooking of the ingredients, followed by baking and the final touch of caramelizing sugar to create a thin, crisp layer.

Although the origins of crème brûlée are not entirely clear, it appears that crema catalana had a significant influence on the creation of this French dessert. The earliest known recipe for crema catalana dates back to the 14th century and is found in a Catalan cookbook called "Llibre de Sent Soví." Another reference appears in a 16th-century medieval cookbook called "Llibre de Coch." As for crème brûlée, the first known mention dates from the 17th century and is attributed to chef François Massialot during a meal hosted by Philippe d'Orléans.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat the milk and cream in a small saucepan.
• Separately, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until the sugar is slightly dissolved. Add the vanilla.
• When the milks come to a boil, transfer them to the egg yolk mixture, stirring well.
• Return everything to the pot and heat for one to two minutes.
• Then strain, remove any remaining foam and serve in ramekins.
• Bake at 100°C for approximately 40 minutes or until set. Alternatively, it can be baked at 160°C in a water bath.
• Remove from the oven, let cool and refrigerate for at least two hours.
• Cover the surface of each ramekin with sugar and caramelize it with a kitchen torch. Repeat this process if you want a thicker crust.

TIPS

• Crème brûlée, refrigerated and without the sugar crust, can be kept for up to three days.