Zekra Orange Blossom Crème Brûlée
Scaled amounts are a guide — baking times and pan sizes do not scale with them.
Ingredients
- 500 ml heavy cream (35%)
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked
- 5 egg yolks
- 100 g sugar, plus extra for the crust
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- Pinch of salt
Zekra's version of the crème brûlée on this site changes the perfume and nothing else. Four cracked cardamom pods steep in the cream alongside the vanilla, and a tablespoon of orange blossom water is stirred in after the cream comes off the heat — added hot, it would simply evaporate. The custard ratio, the water bath, the low oven and the four hours of chilling are exactly as in the original, because that is what decides whether a brûlée sets or splits. The sugar crust stays plain: a flavoured crust muddies the crack.
Method
Simmer the cream with the split vanilla bean, its scraped seeds and the cracked cardamom pods over low heat for about 10 minutes to infuse.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt together in a bowl.
Pour the hot cream slowly into the yolks, whisking constantly, then strain to remove the vanilla pod, the cardamom and any bits of cooked egg. Stir in the orange blossom water now, off the heat.
Divide among ramekins set in a deep baking pan and pour hot water into the pan to come halfway up their sides.
Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are set but the centres still jiggle slightly.
Cool, then chill uncovered for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Just before serving, sprinkle a thin even layer of sugar over each custard and caramelise it with a kitchen torch until deep amber and crisp.
