Creme Caramel

Adapted from various Simon Hopkinson recipes for Creme Caramel.

Ingredients

• 450 ml (1pt) full fat milk
• pinch of salt
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 120g sugar
• 2 whole eggs (or 3, if available)
• 4 egg yolks
• 75g sugar (white, or golden caster)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 150C and boil a kettle.

Make caramel by putting the 120g sugar in a light bottomed pan with 3 - 4 tbs of water. Heat until the right colour, which is a rich mahogany shade; make sure it doesn’t go beyond this, so watch very carefully. Pour into your dish and leave to cool; I use an old Pyrex casserole for this.

In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, egg yolks, salt, vanilla, and remaining sugar. Whisk to blend; you don’t want to add too much air to the mixture. Pour over the caramel.

Put the dish in a close fitting roasting tray, and put that in the oven. Pour water from the kettle into the tray, to half-way up the dish. The water shouldn’t be too hot - no more than 60C. Cover loosely with foil.

This will take 40 - 60 minutes. Test frequently as you get close; you are aiming for a gentle tremble rather than a big wobble. Let cool, and cover with cling film to discourage too thick a skin from forming.

Serve alone, or with whipped cream.

Variations

You can infuse coffee beans and add some espresso to the milk; or add some orange juice and zest. But I feel that it is best made and served plain, just as it is.