Chefs' Recipes

Restaurant Hubert's crème caramel

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

By Daniel Pepperell
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 50 mins cooking (plus chilling)
  • Serves 4
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Crème caramel
"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.

Notes

Drink Suggestion: Old Hobart Overeem Sherry, Cask Matured Single Malt Hobart Whisky. Drink suggestion by Andy Tyson