Creme Brulee

[thebighat]

If you made creme brulee on top of the stove you'd be making in essence a very thick creme anglaise, or custard. And the stirring would definitely have something to do with how the egg proteins line up and set. I don't think you'd get the same texture and it would be very easy to scramble it. Rose Levey Beranbaum has an interesting technique in the Pie and Pastry Bible for making lemon curd bars. She cooks the curd in a double boiler to a certain temp, and then pours it into a pre-baked shell and bakes it for ten min at a gentle heat. She says the protein molecules realign themselves and they do. Maybe this would work for creme brulee. Cook the custard to about 160 over hot water, then pour it into the cups, and bake for ten min in hot water bath in the oven. Stove top pudding, or custard, and baked custard have different textures and this might make them more the same.

[fontzmark]

I think you are right about the thick custard but that is how we make ours--all on the stove top and it is very easy to scramble it. But once you get the technique down it sure makes it easy to knock out 25 or 30 in one shot. I also think the final product is very good, the chef who taught me this went to school in Denmark for six years so maybe he knows something I don't.....I was suprised to see it done this way too, shocked is a better word but he is the pastry chef so.....I can post recipe if anyone is interested.

[thebighat]

I tried this the other day and it worked. I used Jacque Pepin's recipe.

1 cup milk
1 cup cream
4 yolks
1 egg
3 tb sugar
vanilla to taste.

cooked it in a double boiler, then put it in cups and baked it for 20 min. It worked perfectly. I think next time I would use two eggs and 3 yolks.

[Dominique]

fontzmark, I cook my brulees on the stove top too. In spite of the frantic stirring, I think it's tons easier. I prefer the texture too, a lot silkier than the oven baked. I've found that for my recipe the higher-fat creams will mess it up though.

I added an espresso brulee to the menu this month and it's been selling really well. I just add a tablespoon of the ground bean to the cream and cut out some of the vanilla. I'm pouring the mix in a coffee cup and they're serving it on a saucer just like a cup of coffee. A chocolate dipped spoon on the side for garnish and that's it but everyone loves it.

[angrychef]

fontzmark, please post recipe. I would like to try it out, since all the creme brulees I have done have been in the oven. I will compare both techniques. Thanks.

[mudbug]

Angrychef,

Here are lots of creme brulee recipes for you to browse not utilizing the oven.

[fontzmark]

No Bake creme brulee

40 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup maple syrup
4 qts. heavy cream
4 van. beans split/scraped
1 cup orange liquor (Curaco or something)
4 oz. corn starch

mix yolks, sugar and syrup.
add beans to cream and bring to almost boiling on stove top ( use a heavy pot)
Make a slurry with the booze and starch.
When cream is hot, temper the egg mixture(I temper a lot of it, I wisk about half of the cream into the eggs.)
Pour the rest of the egg mixture into the cream. I do this whole process on high heat and move the pot on and off the flame. If your pot is very heavy and holds heat well this process can go very fast. Wisk like ****, so the eggs don't scramble and add the slurry, continue to cook until mix thickens slightly. Poor mixture into a clean bowl to stop the cooking action, I always have cooked stuff on the bottom of the pan. This is the hard part...knowing when you have cooked it enough...without scrambling it...after you have it in a bowl, strain the mixture into big plastic pitchers and working fast pour into your service cups.

I think this is a really good recipie, but what do I know??? It is thick and creamy, velvety smooth with a lot of vanilla flavor and just a hint of maple at the end, easy to make a chocolate version with this base too.

[m brown]

While endlessly whisking the key lime curd over the boiling h2o I gave thought to the no bake method. I approve as it is the same technique! Just don't stop whisking!!

[Dominique]

My no-bake recipe is easier but fontzmarks sure sounds intriguing!

Whip over a double boiler until very thick...
30 yolks
9 oz sugar

Bring to a boil...
9c 36% cream
3 vanilla beans

Strain cream into thickened yolks and mix.
Let set over hot water (but no longer boiling) for 5-10 minutes to allow to thicken further. Pour into cups and chill.

[mudbug]

Eeyore,

That pinch of salt will actually bring out the sweetness of the brulee. Many savory dishes add a bit honey or sugar or another sweetener which enhances the savory flavors.

The same is true for desserts. Often times a bit of salt will actually accentuate the dessert's sweetness.