Tom Kerridge’s vanilla crème brulee 

Liz Nicholls

We’re sharing a recipe from Tom Kerridge to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the Hand & Flowers & 10 years of The Coach 

Vanilla Crème Brulee

Ingredients:
750ml double cream 
One vanilla pod 
Four medium free-range eggs 
30g caster sugar 

Put the cream and vanilla pod into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.  

Beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until smoothly blended. Bring the vanilla-infused cream back to the boil, then slowly pour onto the beaten egg mixture, whisking as you do so to combine.  

Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook, stirring constantly, over a medium-low heat until the custard thickens and reaches 88°C (check the temperature with a digital probe). Immediately remove from the heat and pass through a fine chinois into a clean bowl. Press a layer of cling film on to the surface to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool for 20 minutes or until the custard is at room temperature.  

Pour the custard into a high-powered jug blender (Vitamix) and blitz for 30 seconds; this will lighten it slightly. Now pour the custard into crème brûlée dishes or ramekins, dividing it equally (about 125ml per dish). Cover each dish with cling film, leaving a small gap on one side, to allow any moisture to evaporate. Stand the dishes on a tray and place in the fridge to set; this will take about three hours. 

Caramel Glaze
200g demerara sugar

When ready to serve, sprinkle a generous, even layer of demerara sugar over the surface of each set custard. Wipe the edge of the dish with a clean cloth. Using a cook’s blowtorch, caramelise the sugar, starting from the edges and working towards the centre. Take the caramel to a dark brown – this dish is all about balancing the rich creamy egg custard with the slightly bitter caramel flavour. 

Leave to cool for about five minutes before serving.