Soba-Cha Custard
Makes
4 Servings
Cooking + Prep Time:
1 & 1/2 hours + 1-hour water bath & 3 hours chilling
Ingredients:
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12 oz. of cream, heavy, + extra if needed
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1 & 1/2 oz. of tea, roasted buckwheat + extra to garnish
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A pinch of salt, sea
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6 yolks from large eggs
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3 oz. of sugar, white
To garnish:
whipped cream
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Bring pot of filtered water to boil. Combine the cream and soba-cha (buckwheat tea). Bring to low simmer on med. heat. Stir and scrape sides and bottom frequently, so mixture doesn’t scorch. Remove mixture from heat. Allow it to steep for four or five minutes.
2. Strain the tea-infused cream into heat-proof measuring cup. Press down on the soba-cha, extracting as much liquid as you can. Discard the soba-cha. Add cream to the infused cream to bring it to 1 & 1/2 cups in total. Add a tiny pinch of sea salt.
3. In separate, medium pan, whisk sugar and egg yolks together. Pour the heated and infused cream in egg yolk mixture, all the while whisking. Set on med-low and stir while cooking till custard temperature is 140F. Remove pan from heat.
4. Strain the custard. Divide in ramekins. Set them in baking dish. Cover dish with foil and leave a small opening. Place in oven.
5. Pour the boiling water in the baking dish. Don’t splash any water in the ramekins. Water should be 3/4 up sides of ramekins. Seal the foil. Bake the custards till barely set, usually 35-45 minutes.
6. Remove baking dish carefully from the oven, without sloshing the water around. Then, allow custards to cool in the water bath for an hour or so.
7. Remove ramekins and cover with plastic. Refrigerate for three hours or longer, till fully chilled.
8. Top custards using whipped cream. Serve.