The best crème brulee

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 12 tablespoons of sugar
• 7 large egg yolks

Preparation:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan (a turkey roasting pan works well) with a clean kitchen towel and place four 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins in the pan, spacing them a few inches apart.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat. Using a small knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from both halves of the pod. Add both the seeds and the pod to the cream. Stir in the salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, vigorously beat the yolks with 3 tablespoons of sugar until pale yellow and thick, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, beat with a mixer on high speed until pale yellow and thick, about 1 minute.
4. While whisking the yolks constantly, add a couple of teaspoons of hot cream from 1 cup, then gradually pour in the remaining cup in a steady stream. Don't pour in too much hot cream at once, or the eggs will curdle. The yolks are now tempered. Stir the tempered yolks into the remaining hot cream. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a spout or a pitcher for easy pouring into the molds; discard the vanilla bean.
5. Skim off any foam from the surface of the custard by placing a clean paper towel on top and pressing gently to absorb some of the liquid. This will create a perfectly smooth and silky custard. Fill the ramekins with custard, about 3/4 cup per ramekin.
6. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekins, being careful not to let any water get into the custard. Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil and bake until the custard is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center, 35 to 45 minutes.
7. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for about 3 hours.
8. Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the surface of the custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above the surface. Starting from the center of the ramekin, move the flame in a circular motion, working toward the edges to caramelize the sugar. Repeat with the remaining sugar and custard.
9. Alternatively, position the oven rack on the top shelf and preheat the oven to broil. Place the ramekins on the rack on a baking sheet and broil until golden brown, 15 to 60 seconds, checking every 10 seconds.
10. Place the crème brulee in the freezer for 5 minutes, then serve.
    
    

    Chef's Note

    
    We love the contrast between the cool custard and the slightly warm sugar crust. This can be achieved by placing the crème brûlée in the freezer for a few minutes before serving.