Recipe: orange and cardamom crème brûlée

I know what you’re thinking: Is this another book on French cuisine with delicious, fancy recipes that I could never make on a daily basis?

Even though I’m a huge fan of traditional French cuisine, well, that’s not what you’ll find in this cookbook. I want to show that French cuisine can be easy, quick, and healthy, all at the same time. 

I’ve chosen some simple classic French dishes that I love for their freshness and ease of preparation, as well as twists on recipes that are now commonplace in modern French gastronomy.

I’ve also included numerous vegetarian recipes to cater to a more flexitarian and environmentally friendly diet, such as a tasty tomato tarte tatin.

Orange and cardamom crème brûlée

This recipe makes six

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Resting/chilling time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 240ml whole milk
• 240ml heavy whipping cream
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
• or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 large orange, for zesting
• 5 medium egg yolks
• 50g caster sugar
• 50g brown or caster sugar

Method

1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, cream, vanilla, and cardamom. Heat over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat, then grate in the orange zest. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to infuse the flavours.

2. Preheat the oven to 120°C on the convection setting. Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until the mixture turns pale. Add the milk-cream mixture and mix well. Remove any pale foam from the top of the liquid.

4. Pour the mixture into six 10cm ramekins that are 2.5cm tall, filling each one three-quarters full. Place the ramekins on a baking tray or in a roasting pan and pour boiling water around them to cover threequarters of the ramekins and to create a water bath (bain-marie). 

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cream is set; shake the ramekins: if the cream slightly jiggles in the centre but not at the edges, they are done. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

5. Right before serving, sprinkle brown sugar over the tops and caramelise the crèmes brûlées with a culinary torch or under the oven grill for a few minutes.

Note: You can prepare these crèmes brûlées a day or two in advance, but don’t caramelise the sugar topping until right before serving; otherwise, it will lose its crunch.

The New French Kitchen: Modern Takes on Favourite Classic Dishes by Géraldine Leverd, published by Rock Point, price €20