Name: Restaurant Hubert’s crème caramel
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 45 gm brown sugar; 2 eggs; 4 egg yolks; 275 ml pouring cream; 150 ml milk; 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped; 150 gm caster sugar

Restaurant Hubert’s crème caramel

Restaurant Hubert's chef Daniel Pepperell calls the crème caramel "the best dessert of all time."

Serves 4

Prep

20M

Cook

50M

Total

1H 10M

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“This is the best dessert of all time – no intro needed,” says Pepperell. Begin this recipe a day ahead to rest and chill the custard.

Ingredients

45 gm brown sugar

2 eggs

4 egg yolks

275 ml pouring cream

150 ml milk

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

150 gm caster sugar

Method

Main

1.Whisk brown sugar, eggs and yolks in a bowl to combine. Bring cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds, and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, then, stirring continuously, pour mixture over eggs and mix to combine, incorporating as little air as possible. Refrigerate to rest (at least 2 hours, or overnight).

2.Meanwhile, for caramel, stir sugar and 50ml water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat to dissolve sugar, then cook without stirring until very dark caramel (10-12 minutes; it should almost be to the point of burning). Divide among four 12cm-diameter ceramic ramekins and swirl each quickly to coat to the edges. Set aside to cool and set (10-15 minutes).

3.Preheat oven to 150C. Strain custard through a fine sieve and pour into caramel-lined moulds. Place in a roasting pan lined with a tea towel, then fill pan with warm water to halfway up sides of moulds. Cover with foil and bake until custard is just set with a slight wobble in the centre (35-45 minutes). Remove from water bath and set aside to cool completely, gently releasing the sides of the custard with a wet finger once or twice as it cools, then refrigerate to chill (2-3 hours).

4.To serve, run a knife around edges of custards to release, then invert onto plates and serve chilled.