FROM OUR NEW WINTER MENU Crème Brûlée To those immune to subtlety, it’s simply an egg custard with a hard, toffee crust, but to anybody who’s experienced this classic dessert at its best, the crème brûlée is a symphony of sweet, creamy perfection. Recorded in its French form for the first time in 1691, crème brûlée has always been a simple combination of cream, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla, topped with a disc of hardened caramel which needs to be cracked through to access the dessert. But its origins may not be French at all. While eggs had been used as binding agents in cooking in Ancient Roman kitchens, it was not until the Middle Ages that custards were widely adopted as sweet fillings and binders for tarts, flans and other desserts. Trinity College in Cambridge, England claims to be the birthplace of the dessert, there known as a ‘burnt cream’, whereon the college crest was burnt into sugar on top of a custard using a hot iron (which is still on display at the school). Early French versions of the dessert had a separately prepared caramel disc layered on top of the custard, rather than the contemporary (and English) method of caramelising the sugar directly onto the custard. Catalans claim their dessert known as ‘crema catalana’, also a rich custard (often flavoured with lemon or orange zest) topped with caramelised sugar, is the origin of the French dessert, though theirs seems to be recorded first in the 18th century. Whatever its place of birth, it is the iconic combination of smooth and crunchy that has kept the crème brûlée unchanged for centuries, and has perpetuated its popularity internationally. Crème brûlée is a great example of simple, classical cooking. It is memorable and delicate. Courtesy: Essential Ingredient
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 01:04:59 +0000
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