My idea of the perfect dessert involves custard in any shape or form. That a few simple, everyday ingredients can be applied to heat to produce such a rich and silky concoction is surely one of the great feats of civilization, right up there with the invention of stiletto heels and landing a man on the moon. Add a bit of caramel into the mix and I swoon like a nineteenth century maiden in an Edith Wharton novel.
Crème caramel, also known as flan in Spanish-speaking countries and in North America, is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top. It is similar to crème brûlée, which is custard with a hard caramel top. However, crème caramel is usually served unmolded, and because of this, it calls for more eggs and egg yolks than custards served directly from ramekins or other serving dishes.
Although crème caramel originated in Spain, it spread in popularity across Western Europe and much of the world. Packaged versions of this dessert are ubiquitous in Japan and are called “purin”, which means custard pudding. It is also common in the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as South American countries like Argentina and Uruguay, where it is usually eaten with dulce de leche.
The recipe I submit to you today is Julia Child’s crème renversée au caramel–unmolded caramel custard. It requires the additional caramel recipe on page 584 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. You line your ramekins or molds with the caramel, fill it with custard, and then bake in a water bath to ensure slow and even cooking. It can seem a little complicated but crème caramel is actually quite simple to make and it never fails to impress.
Crème Renversée au Caramel
by Julia Child, from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
serves 4-6 people
for the caramel:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Add sugar and water to a heavy stainless steel saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. When it starts to brown, swirl the saucepan around but do not stir. This will ensure that the sugar turns color evenly and will help wash any crystals off the side. When it is thick and a light, nutty brown, remove from heat and pour directly into molds; swirl each mold to coat evenly with the caramel.
for the custard:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean
Directions:
1) Bring the milk and vanilla bean (if you are using) to just below a simmer in a saucepan. Let the vanilla steep in the milk while you prepare the rest of the custard ingredients.
2) Gradually beat the sugar into the eggs and egg yolks in a bowl until well mixed, light, and foamy. Continue beating while pouring in the hot milk in a thin stream of droplets. If you are using vanilla extract rather than a vanilla bean, add it now. Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into the caramel-lined molds.
3) To bake the molds, set them in a pan and pour enough boiling water around them to come halfway up the sides. Place in the bottom third of an oven preheated to 350F. After five minutes, turn down the heat to 325F. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the center is firm but slightly wobbly. Cooking it too long will result in a tough rather than tender custard.
4) If you would like to serve the custards warm, set the molds in cold water for about ten minutes before unmolding; otherwise chill in the refrigerator. To unmold, run a knife between the custard and edges of the mold. Place a serving dish upside down over the mold and quickly reverse the two, and remove the mold from the custard.
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August 5, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Kayte
Gorgeous…very lovely. Thanks for linking this on Twitter or I would never remember to get over here and check things out…and I would be missing out as I love your blog! Cooking with you in MTAOFC.
August 5, 2009 at 10:11 AM
silvie
sounds like a delightfully rich recipe – love love love creme caramel – and you dont have to torch it! I have a tip for creme caramel and brulees: before pouring the mixture into ramekins, skim the surface with a spoon to remove all air bubbles. Also never ever allow any water to drip into the mixture as it may not set. Caramel makes me swoon as well, that and fresh oysters…
August 5, 2009 at 10:32 AM
gratinee
That’s a great tip! I do that with the brulees but forgot with the creme caramel. And I love fresh oysters, too.
August 5, 2009 at 11:34 PM
Hélène
Oh my this looks so yummy. I love crème caramel. I have to make this recipe from MTAFC. Thanks for posting it. 🙂
August 6, 2009 at 1:42 AM
Julia @ Mélanger
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have the perfect occasion to make this myself. This has now been swiftly bookmarked! 🙂
August 6, 2009 at 3:53 AM
Fuji Mama
YUM! This recipe is high up on my list of what to make next! You seriously have a knack for food photography–you amaze me!
August 10, 2009 at 10:41 AM
gastroanthropologist
My husband is about to walk in the door from work so I gotta comment quick. His absolute favorite is creme caramel (we just had some in croatia!). He is always asking for custardy desserts and I’m afraid if he sees this gorgeous creme caramel on the computer screen he’s going to demand I make some tonight! I’ll have to bookmark it for when I’m not swamped with work (though I make time to blog surf…). Looks really delicious.
August 10, 2009 at 11:03 AM
gratinee
Traveling again, A?! Croatia must have been beautiful. Lucky you!
December 6, 2009 at 2:28 PM
guglielmo
My gorgeous Turkish wife, just made us this in Haiti! It looks as delicious as she!