Creme Caramel-Steaming method

Hello foodies, This recipe is a classic dessert. We are all claiming the invention of the "Creme Caramel". The english, French, spanish, Portuguese... we all love it and want to be associated with it... This cooked egg set custard is divine and have been popular for centuries. It is a nice way to finish a meal with a cold set custard with vanilla flavour and that amber caramel that gives a touch of sweetness. This week i show you how to make it a little faster, using a technique i love, steaming.  this process will reduce your cooking process by at least 30 minutes. You will need of course a metal or bamboo steamer for this recipe and some dariole moulds (metal or plastic) or ramequins. All up with COOLING time this recipe takes about 2 hours to make. Let's get cooking Frenchy
Servings: 6 yield(s)
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 60 mins
Ingredients
    this recipe will fill 6 dariole moulds. Quantity of portions may change if you are using different moulds or ramequins
    Caramel
  • 100 g Sugar Caster or fine
  • 30 g Water (to cook the sugar)
  • 8 g Glucose
  • 30 g Water (to soften the caramel )
  • Egg custard
  • 450 g Milk (Full cream)
  • 200 g Whole eggs
  • 50 g Sugar Caster or fine
  • 2 g Vanilla paste (Essence or 1/2 frexh vanilla pod )
Instructions
    Make the caramel and prepare the dariole moulds
  1. Measure and gather all your ingredients. If you noticed i also weight my water and milk. It makes the recipe even more accurate for a perfect result.
  2. Place the first 30 g of water in a small sauce pan.
  3. Add the sugar to the water.
  4. give it a gantle stir. we do not want lump of sugar that could crystalise our caramel.
  5. Once it looks like this, place the sauce pan on the stove on moderate heat.
  6. Bring the sugar syrup to the boil.
  7. Add the glucose.
  8. With a clean brush and clean water, brush the inside of the pan to the level of the sugar boiling. Clean all around the inside of the pan at the edge of the sugar. do this only once. This will reduce the risk of cristalisation of your caramel. Now do not touch it anymore and let it come to 170C or amber caramel colour.
  9. Meanwhile, grease slightly the inside of the dariole moulds. If you are using a spray, be sure to use some paper towel to remove the excess of fat. we just want a thin film of fat.
  10. By this time your caramel should nearly look like mine.
  11. Once you reach that amber colour, add the second 30 g of water. becareful not to splash yourself or burn yourself with the steam. Remove the caramel from the heat and make sure the water and caramel are combined. Cool down for 5 minutes.
  12. Pour the caramel into the moulds. they should be no more than 3 mm thick.
  13. Place the moulds on a tray and in the fridge until the caramel as totally set (15-30 minutes).
  14. Egg custard
  15. Poor the milk into a sauce pan.
  16. Add the Vanilla essence or paste. place it on the stove and heat up the flavoured milk
  17. Meanwhile, place your whole eggs in a bowl.
  18. Add the sugar.
  19. Whisk well for a minute.
  20. Now your milk should be to nearly boiling point
  21. Add your milk to your eggs.
  22. Whisk gently until it is all combined
  23. Transfer your custard to a jug. It makes it easier to pour into the moulds.
  24. By now your caramel should be set. Check if it is using your finger. if you press gently onto the caramel and it does not stick to your finger, that means your caramel is set enough to pour the custard onto it. however if the caramel stick to your finger place it back in the fridge. If your caramel is still runny after 1 hour, you have made a measurement mistake. Clean the moulds and do the caramel again.
  25. Pour the custard into the mould to nearly the top of the mould
  26. Cover each mould with a bit of plastic wrap. that will prevent the steam and water to get into them.
  27. Cooking the Creme Caramel
  28. Here i used a small metal steamer but you could use a bamboo steamer . Make sure you have enough water in your steamer and bring the water to a boil.
  29. Place on top the steaming tray.
  30. Place the creme on the steaming tray.
  31. Place the lid on top and cook for 18 minutes at a moderate heat. Making sure you see steam coming out of the lid.
  32. After 18 minutes remove the creme caramel from the steamer. Remove the plastic wrap.. shake gently the creme and you should see a little woble in the middle of the cream . if it looks runny, put them back and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes. Once done place them in the fridge until totally cold (30 to 60 minutes).
  33. Unmoulding the Creme caramel
  34. Place a little bit of water in a small sauce pan, about 1 cm of water and bring it to boil. Place the pan of the heat. Once done, place your mould into the water. the level of water should just be above the caramel level. Leave the Creme caramel there for as minute. This will allow the caramel to softer again. It is CRUCIAL to do so :).
  35. Using a small knife or a skewer, slide it gently against the mould to create an air bubble going all the way o the caramel.
  36. Turn the cream upside down gently , remove the blade.
  37. Keep going.
  38. You are nearly there.
  39. BAmmmmm Voila.................... Bon Appetit Enjoy it as it is ........... it does not need anything else.