Thursday, July 10, 2008

How not to make a Creme Brulee...


With a propane burner. Engineers, should NOT be allowed in the kitchen. Though bless Nath, I wasn't going to attempt this! For the record, this didnt work so well, as the flame was too large and slightly cooked the custard, and as propane is a liquid, when the torch was flipped upside down, the liquid ran to the top of the torch blocking out the gas and hence the flame would go out.
I am still after a good creme catalana recipe as the one I have tried did not result in a thick enough custard for my liking. Any ideas? Apart from using more thickener...
I have since purchase a butane burner so look forward to a more successful attempt to burn the top!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Ran. My cookbook from Spain (in Català!) has the following ingredients for a crema catalana: 500 ml milk, 4 egg yolks, 125 gm sugar, 20 gm starch (presumably cornflour), cinnamon stick, zest of one lemon, and 40 gm sugar for the crust.

I also have a recipe which uses more sugar, less zest, and about half as much cornflour.

A crema catalana isn't as rich and creamily thick as a crème brûlée.

Ran said...

thanks duncan, i'll give it a go - i think my recipe was very similar but with less cornflour. it tasted good but was a little runnier than my 'taste memory' of the one I had in barcelona

my spanish is enogh to read a cook book but not my catala!

thanh7580 said...

Ran, I'm an engineer and I've been thinking of buying some form of blow torch so that I can make a creme brulee. I think I wouldn't hold the ramekin in my hands though in case I set my own hand on fire.

Ran said...

Thanh get a butane burner specially designed for cooking and try not to get one with a soldering attachement even if you think it would be useful. No point mixing tools with kitchen gadgets!

and you are talking to the girl who sliced of my entire fingernail the other night while chopping pumpkin. Not a good look. ANd there were no bandaids in the house and I was all alone ;(

Onyu said...

Hey, I'm just a random passerby. May I know where I can buy a blow torch in Melbourne? The city area preferably.