Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Here is a link to the Chang article and here is the recipe (I had it in my collection). I have the other 2 recipes as well if you'd like them (Crème Caramel and Pots de Crème).
EXPORTED FROM LIVING COOKBOOK

CRÈME BRÛLÉE

1 tsp. vanilla extract can be subbed for the vanilla bean.

Servings: 8

Oven Temperature: 325°F

8 6 oz. RAMEKINS
1 qt. heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean -- split and seeds removed
1 cup sugar, divided
10 egg yolks
Pinch salt

CUSTARD:

Heat the oven to 325°F.

Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until scalded (you'll see small bubbles on the sides of the pan). Split the vanilla bean in half, if using, and scrape the seeds into the cream. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, slowly whisk ½ cup of the sugar into the egg yolks. Slowly whisk the hot cream/milk into the sugar/yolk mixture. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher or measuring cup. Stir in the salt and vanilla extract, if using.

Arrange eight 6 oz. ramekins in a baking dish with deep sides. Pour the custard into the ramekins, fill the baking dish with water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins and cover the dish with foil. Bake until just set, 25 to 50 minutes. Be sure to start checking early; baking time will depend on the thickness and depth of your ramekins and baking dish. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and let the ramekins cool in the water bath. Remove, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

CRACKLY TOPPING.

By far the easiest method of caramelizing sugar on a crème brûlée is with a propane blowtorch. Using the remaining ½ cup of sugar, sift a thin, even layer of sugar over the refrigerated custards, ignite the torch, and with a slow, sweeping motion, guide the flame directly on the surface of the custard. The nozzle should be 2 to 3 inches from the surface, with the tip of the flame licking the sugar. The sugar will melt slowly at first and then caramelize. As soon as the entire surface is glossy brown, move on to the next custard.

If you don't have a blowtorch and do have a gas oven, the broiler method can be used. This method is only successful with a very hot broiler in a gas oven (electric ovens don't seem to provide heat high enough to caramelize the sugar). Line a baking dish with a towel to keep the baked custards from sliding around and arrange them on top. Fill the spaces between the ramekins with ice and add water so that they're surrounded by ice water. This will keep them cold and creamy while their tops are being caramelized. From the remaining ½ cup of sugar, sift a thin, even layer of sugar on the surface of each custard and gently slide the baking dish under the broiler, positioning it so that the flame is 2 to 3 inches away from the tops of the custards. Watch carefully: within three or four minutes, the sugar will melt and then caramelize. Remove the baking dish and take out the ramekins.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 50 minutes Inactive Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes Total Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes

Author: Joanne Chang
Source: Fine Cooking 3/1998 25 , pages 78-83
Web Page: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/creme_brulee.aspx

Recipe Type: Desserts, Fine Cooking, Flans, Custards and Puddings, Joanne Chang

I tried another route and sent an email to the restaurant. Here is the reply:


Sry its 35 grm of paste but try 70 puree

On May 24, 2012 6:18 PM, "James Schiavone" <james.schiavone@tartarun.com> wrote:
Dear Mary
 
Thank you for your comments, I m glad you enjoyed it and hope to see you again.
 
Here is my recipe for the strawberry crème Brule
 
Ingredients
 
560 ml Fresh cream

160 ml Milk

12 egg yolks

100 sugar

½ vanilla pods

70 grams Strawberry paste

You can use strawberry puree; you might need to add a bit more than 70 grams.

1.       Remove the seeds from the pod and place in a pan with the milk and cream

2.       Bring the milk and cream to the boil

3.       Wisk the yolks sugar and the paste well

4.       Pour the hot cream into the yolk mixture

5.       Let it infuse for about 15 minutes.

6.       Strain through a fine sieve.

7.       Pour the Brule mixture into cups onto a tray with water.

8.       Cover the dish and cook at 180deg for about 1 hour until set.

 Enjoy


Kind Regards,
James Schiavone
Tartarun Fish Restaurant
T: 21658089
M: 99252211
E: james.schiavone@tartarun.com
    www.tartarun.com

100 grams of sugar, do you think?

I would say so. Click on the link and check out the restaurant, it was fantastic. For an amuse bouche they served they served little fried risotto balls ( arancina or whatever little oranges are in Italian) but they had squd ink and squid in them. Yowza

Mary

Cheatin' just a little by askin', ain't it

Just a touch, but it gives me whatever the cooking equivalent is of saying, "yeah, I know the band"

Mary

Yeah, and we can say we know you so the degrees of separation thingy . . .

Ah, I can see the slippery slide of tangents beginning...

Thanks Mary. I'm going to try it. And Alina, you rock with your recipe organization!

My friend made the recipe as per the video last night. It was good but the strawberry flavor was not as intense and it could have used another egg yolk. We decided we are going to reach out to our restaurant people and see if we can score some of that strawberry paste. My other thought was to mix strawberry jam into the mix to get a more concentrated flavor.

Mary