The word ‘Brûlée’ often appears in culinary contexts, usually referring to Crème Brûlée, a dessert with a hard, cooked sugar crust and smooth, creamy inside. It has been a popular European dessert for many years, and chefs and home cooks alike have prepared it over the decades. This article will define crème brûlée, discuss the technique for making crème brûlée, the history of crème brûlée, and provide an authentic recipe for making crème brûlée with specific measured ingredients and steps.
Brûlée is derived from the French word meaning burnt. In culinary terms, it usually uses high heat to caramelize sugar into a brittle, brown surface. Thus, crème brûlée is a custard dessert finished with a thick layer of burnt sugar. Although the word brulee also only refers to the method of finishing the dish.
All crème brûlées feature a layer of caramelized sugar on top of the dessert. To create this layer of caramelized sugar, the sugar is heated until it melts, and then it is heated enough to caramelize and produce a thin, hard shell.
Fine granulated white sugar works best to create a caramelized sugar crust for crème brûlée. Fine granulated sugar will both dissolve evenly and produce a uniform top layer of the caramelized sugar crust. Coarse sugars will not dissolve evenly and will have an unevenly browned layer when caramelized, and powdered sugar will burn before it produces a caramelization color.
A kitchen torch will provide immediate heat and allow you to control the degree to which the sugar will caramelize on top of the crème brûlée. The sugar should be uniformly sprinkled over the top of the custard. Then, using the torch, you will move the flame in a circular motion until the sugar is melted and has reached an amber color.
Place the custards in a broiler at a high temperature. As you monitor the custard to ensure that it does not get overly cooked, the process will have turned it into a perfect crème brûlée.
There is debate among culinary historians regarding the original creation of the crème brûlée, and many cultures have laid claim to being responsible for creating the famous dessert, including France, England, and Spain.
The first recipe for the traditional crème brûlée appears in the cookbook of François Massialot, “The French Chef,” published in 1691. The recipe describes a custard-style dessert topped with a burnt sugar topping, making it almost identical to the modern crust on most crème brûlées.
In England, Trinity College in Cambridge produced a form of burnt cream using a red iron to caramelize the topping of the burnt cream, resulting in a crust much like crème brûlée.
The Spanish version of crème brûlée is said to be an original creation prior to the French version, but made using a similar cooking method. The Spanish version uses completely different flavorings and preparation, such as adding citrus (lemon/orange) and/or cinnamon to the crème, and is generally made on the stovetop.
Jaggery syrup is a traditional accompaniment for Vishu katta. Here’s how you can make it at home:
Ingredients
Instructions
While the traditional version is the most popular, there are many flavor variation options available, including chocolate, coffee, and citrus flavors. Some crème brûlée variations feature fruit purees mixed in with their custard bases, while others experiment with different caramelization techniques to flavour their sugar toppings. Regardless of what variation you choose, they all retain the basic structure of a traditional crème brûlée.