Classic Crème Caramel

For me, this is hands down the best dessert on the planet. I might have, on occasion, eaten a serve intended for six in one sitting. I’ve used my mum’s recipe for aeons, then discovered that a traditional crème caramel uses milk only, no cream, which results in an even lighter, silkier custard. My biggest tip would be to make sure you take your caramel to a deep mahogany, so each mouthful of the sweet custard is accompanied by a beguiling hint of bitterness.

FEEDS 8

CARAMEL

220 g (7 ¾ oz/1 cup) sugar

60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) water

CUSTARD

900 ml (32 fl oz/3 ¾ cups) full-cream milk

6 eggs + 2 extra yolks

140 g (5 oz/²/₃ cup) sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract

METHOD

Before starting, have a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin on standby.

To make the caramel, boil the sugar and water in a small stainless steel saucepan until the caramel turns a pale gold. At this stage, watch closely, as it will turn from a rich golden brown to smoking black within seconds. Remove the caramel from the heat a little before it turns the colour you like because it will keep getting darker very quickly. Immediately tip the caramel into the cake tin, then let the caramel set for about 10 minutes, or until hard.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced.

To make the custard, in a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until hot but not boiling.

Whisk the eggs, extra yolks, sugar and vanilla bean paste in a large mixing bowl until combined. Whisk the hot milk into the mixture, then pour into the tin through a sieve, to catch any lumps of unwhisked egg. Place a clean cloth of some sort on the bottom of a baking dish with high sides (5–6 cm/2–2½ inches). Pop the tin of crème caramel mixture in it, and fill the baking dish halfway up the side of the tin with hot water.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (315°F) fan-forced, cover the tin with foil and bake for 60 minutes. If you jiggle it, the crème caramel should wobble nicely as a whole; if it ripples under the cooked surface, it means it will be liquid and undercooked inside, and needs to be baked longer. Rest for at least 2 hours, then chill completely before slicing to serve. If you want the caramel to liquefy, letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight will do the trick.

To serve, run a thin paring knife around the side of the tin, with the tip touching the bottom. Place a deep serving plate over the tin and, holding both firmly together, flip the crème caramel onto the plate. It should release easily. Slice and serve in a shallow pool of the caramel.