Niko and I made marshmallows, which left us with egg yolks. My need to find a use for them led me down a path, where I discovered the relationship that binds egg custard to pot de crème and crème brûlée, not to mention pouring sauces and pastry creams. Basically as far as desserts go, if you want rich and silky, use the fattiest milk and the least amount of egg whites. Here I use heavy cream and no egg whites. However, if you're making flan, then you'll need the structure that comes with egg whites and less fatty milk. (BTW, I think we get why egg whites add structure, but as far as the milk goes, "[u]sing cream instead of milk adds more fats, further disrupts protein clumping, and raises the coagulation temperature, giving us a softer custard," according to The Finch & Pea. http://thefinchandpea.com/2012/08/31/the-science-of-sexy-creme-brulee/)
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 300º.
Fill a water kettle, and bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, heat the heavy cream, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt have dissolved. It should be hot but not boiling.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Slowly pour the warm liquid into the egg yolks while stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Strain.
Divide the liquid into ramekins.
Line the bottom of a large baking dish with a kitchen towel. Put the ramekins on top, and then pour the boiling water into the dish so that the water is about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover loosely with foil.
Bake 30 minutes for 6 oz ramekins, just until the custard sets—that is, they wiggle as one mass, like Jello-O.
Chill ramekins before serving.
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