Creme brulee

The Goods*:

1 cup milk

1 cup light cream

1 vanilla bean

4 oz sugar, plus some extra

4 oz egg yolks**

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Place four 4-oz ramekins in a pyrex baking dish, or other suitable oven safe vessel. Fill the pyrex with water up to around three quarters of the height of the ramekins. Remove the ramekins and place the pyrex in the oven.

Split the vanilla bean length-wise, down the middle. Combine the milk, cream, and vanilla bean in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the mixture beings to simmer, remove from the heat and allow the bean to steep for 15 minutes. It will also be important to have slightly cooler milk/creme when it comes time to mix with the eggs (one does not want scrambled eggs for dessert). After the 15 minute steeping period, carefully scrape the vanilla seeds out of the pod into the mixture. At this point, taste the milk/cream mixture. If one desires more vanilla-ness, a teaspoon of good vanilla extract*** can be added (I love me some vanilla flavor).

In a large mixing bowl, weight out the yolks and sugar; combine. Whisk vigorously until the two are well incorporated. Slowly add the milk/cream mixture while whisking continuously. Pour the custard into the ramekins. Add the ramekins to the water bath in the oven. The ramekins must be covered while baking. Ruhlman recommends a layer of parchment paper under a layer of aluminum foil over the entire water bath. This worked fine (other suggestions?).

Cook the custards until they set, approximately 30 minutes. Allow them to cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve (read: torch). Before finishing (read: blasting with fire), allow the custard to come to room temperature. Top each ramekin with sugar****, then shake off the excess to ensure each custard is coated with a fine layer. Using a propane torch, evenly heat the sugar until it melts, bubbles, and caramelizes (try to avoid burning). Serve immediately once cool.

*Adapted from Ratio (like, almost to the letter).

**This, of course, could come from a variable amount of eggs, depending on egg size. Ruhlman approximates 8 large egg yolks, though I managed to get to 4 ounces with only 6 egg yolks. Making the brulee actually came about kind of by accident. My room-mate was making a meringue cookie (requiring only egg whites) so he had a bunch of spare egg yolks...

***Ina will be fucking pissed if you don't use the good vanilla extract.

****Side-note, brown sugar is NOT suitable for creme brulee. It just sort of burns up, rather than forming the lovely hard shell goodness.