Chris and I recently had dinner at the very charming Bar Bouchee in Madison, CT. Dessert that night was a delicious pistachio crème brûlée. This got me thinking: Why don’t more people put sea salt in crème brûlée? Inspired by our dessert (and Chris’s favorite sea salt caramel gelato, which he claims he can eat tubs of), Chris created this caramel crème brûlée with a sea salt sugar “crust” on top. The caramel custard alone is beautiful—in both its texture and flavor—and the topping Chris dreamed up took the dessert to another level.
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VIDEO: Alex made a quick iPhone video to show you how easy it is to torch the top. The audio is poor, but it’s the visual we really wanted you to see. Now, run to the hardware store, get a simple torch and try this at home!
- 1-1/2 cups sugar Plus more for brûléeing
- 4 cups cream
- 12 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Coarse sea salt
- Heat oven to 325˚.
- Put 1 cup of the sugar in a heavy bottom pot and cook over medium high heat until caramel colored. Remove from heat and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in cream and return to a simmer with the vanilla.
- Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Then carefully whisk in the hot cream into the egg mixture. Transfer to 4 ounce ramekins and place in a large roasting pan. Add hot water to the pan to cover half way up the ramekin.
- Bake in a 325˚oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until just set. Remove and let cool completely.
- Top each ramekin with 3-4 tablespoons of sugar and caramelize with a kitchen torch. Serve once you've let the crackly tops set for a second or two.
Check our Facebook page to see a video of Chris torching the tops of the Caramel Crème Brûlées.
