The Little Paris Kitchen (26 page)

•
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or Indonesian long pepper (this goes particularly well with raspberries in the
crème brûlée
)

•
a pinch of saffron threads

•
The custard can be made up to 4 days in advance, but the caramel topping has to be done just before serving. Caramel becomes soft with time, due to the humidity in the air
.

•
You need wide, shallow ramekins to get a high caramel to custard ratio, which is key for a successful
crème brûlée.

•
If you're not using the leftover egg whites straightaway, freeze them in an airtight container with the date on the label and use within a month. They can also be kept in the fridge for several days
.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30
–
40 minutes
Resting time: 4 hours
–
overnight

I loved this dessert when I was a kid—French food wasn't very common at home. Growing up in the United Kingdom with an Austrian mother and a Malay–Chinese dad meant that meals were a fusion of Alpine sweetness and Southeast Asian spiciness, with a traditional British roast on Sundays. My mother's version of
crème caramel
was courtesy of a powdered mix and it didn't bother me at all. Considering how simple it is to make, nowadays I prefer the real deal.

SERVES 6

For the caramel sauce:
1¼ cups sugar

• 2 cups milk • 1 vanilla pod •
⅓
cup sugar • 3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks • half-and-half, to serve

TO MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE:
Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the bottom of a heavy-based pan and place on a medium heat. Once the sugar starts to melt, add some more. Repeat several times until all the sugar has melted. Continue heating the caramel, swirling it around in the pan (do not stir).
*
When the caramel is almost a Coca-Cola color, add a couple of tablespoons of water (stand back a little as it may splatter). Pour some caramel into a ramekin and immediately swirl it all over the bottom of the dish. Repeat with five more ramekins, working very fast as the caramel sets quickly. Set the ramekins aside while you make the cream.

Preheat the oven to 225°F. Pour the milk into a pan. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the grains. Add the pod and grains to the milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and take out the pod. Combine the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a bowl, then slowly pour in the hot milk, whisking continuously. Do not overwhisk as you want to avoid creating too many bubbles.

Divide the mixture between the ramekins and place in a roasting pan. Pour cold water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30–40 minutes or until the cream is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the middle. Remove the ramekins from the water and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap (don't let it touch the custard), and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Run a knife around the top edge of the cream and dip each ramekin in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Invert a plate on top of the ramekin, then turn both over and give them a shake or two to release the vanilla cream and caramel sauce onto the plate. Serve chilled, with a jug of half-and-half.

*
Pourquoi?
Using a spoon to stir the caramel will agitate the sugar molecules and make the caramel crystallize
.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30
–
40 minutes
Resting time: 4 hours
–
overnight

Iles flottantes
are the perfect finish to any rich meal. Egg whites are whisked into the lightest meringue and gently poached, then floated on a lake of creamy, cold
crème anglaise
and topped with praline.

Crème anglaise
is one of the all-time classic French dessert sauces and a great one to have under your belt. Once you understand the technique, you'll be able to adapt the recipe with your own flavorings. I like to add some freshly ground long pepper, which is sweet and spicy and gives the whole thing a little kick. (You're most likely to find long pepper at an Asian supermarket, or it can be replaced with regular black pepper.)

This dessert should be served cold, which makes it perfect for preparing in advance. The praline can be made a couple of weeks before you need it and the
crème anglaise
a couple of days ahead. Keep the praline in an airtight container, as humidity will make it soggy and sticky. The meringues are best made on the day of serving.

SERVES 6

For the
crème anglaise
:
4 egg yolks • 7 tbsp sugar • 1 vanilla pod
*
• 2 cups milk • ½ tsp ground long pepper or black pepper (optional)

For the praline:
6½ tbsp sugar • scant 1 tbsp water • ½ cup slivered almonds

For the islands:
2 egg whites • scant ½ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted if lumpy • a couple of drops of lemon juice • a pinch of salt

TO MAKE THE
CRÈME ANGLAISE
:
Mix the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape out the grains. Place the pod and grains in a pan with the milk and pepper and bring to a boil. Remove the pod, then pour a little of the hot milk onto the egg yolks and sugar, whisking continuously. Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, then pour the mix into a clean pan, set over a gentle heat, and whisk constantly. Do not let the custard simmer at any point or it will split. After 5 minutes it will begin to thicken slightly and become the consistency of half-and-half (it will thicken more when it cools down). Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE PRALINE:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the sugar and water into a large pan, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat to high. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the almonds and stir continuously for 5 minutes to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Once the sugar and nuts have become a dark golden caramel color, pour onto the prepared sheet and spread as thinly as possible with a palette knife (be quick as it sets pretty fast). Leave to cool.

TO MAKE THE ISLANDS:
Put half the egg whites into a clean glass or metal bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and salt and whisk until snow white. Add the rest of the egg whites and continue whisking until the meringue forms stiff peaks.

Gently drop six spoonfuls of meringue into a large pot of simmering water
**
and simmer for a few minutes or until they are slightly puffed up and just set. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet of parchment paper until needed.

Pour a ladleful of
crème anglaise
into each of six glasses and gently place a meringue in the center. Snap the praline into small pieces and sprinkle on top.

*
The vanilla pod can be interchanged with different flavorings. Here are a few ideas to get your imagination going
.

Winter warming:
1 cinnamon stick, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg

Chocolate chile:
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 pinches of chile powder, or to taste

Zingy citrus fruit:
finely grated zest of 1 orange, ½ lemon, and ½ lime

**
If you prefer you can cook the islands in the microwave. Spoon six small heaps onto a plate, leaving at least ¾ inch between each one, and microwave on medium-high for 30–60 seconds
.

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Resting time: 4 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes

With only three main ingredients—meringue, whipped cream, and sweetened chestnut cream—there's really not much to this dessert. And if you're short of time, you could even get away with buying the ingredients ready-made and just assembling them before serving.

Traditionally the chestnut cream should be thick enough to be piped, but I like mine a little runnier, so that I can pour it over the meringues and cream to make them look like mini mountains—hence the name Mont Blanc.

SERVES 4

For the meringues:
3 egg whites •
⅔
cup confectioners' sugar • a couple of drops of lemon juice • a pinch of salt

For the chestnut cream:
1 vanilla pod • 7 oz cooked chestnuts (from a can is fine) • 1 cup heavy cream • 2 tbsp golden superfine sugar • 1½ tbsp Cognac (optional)

To assemble:
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream