LEMON GRASS CREME BRULEE

My Creme brûlée is a creamy custard with a twist of Asian flavours, topped with a brittle layer of melted sugar that cracks when you gently tap it with a spoon.

In this recipe I am making the custard by blending all the ingredients in the liquidizer. I use the empty condensed milk tin to measure the quantities of the thick cream and the lemon grass tea. I know it is not your standard custard but it works well and the end result is a creamy custard with a crunchy caramelised topping.

Ingredients

• I can of condensed milk, 395 grams
• 1 can of thick cream
• 1 can of lemon grass tea
• 9 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons of powdered milk

Ingredients for the lemon grass Tea

• 8 stems of fresh lemon grass
• 2 1/2 cups of water

Method for the Lemongrass Tea

• Rinse the fresh lemon grass well.
• Crush the stems with a meat clever.
• Then put the lemon grass into a pan of boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir a few times.
• Strain the tea and let it cool completely. You will have a tin full of strong lemon grass tea.

Method for the Creme Brûlée

• In a blender put all the ingredients together, the condensed milk, the lemon grass tea, the cream, the egg yolks and the powdered milk. Pulse a few times and make sure all the ingredients are well mixed. This is the base for your creme brûlée.
• Divide this custard mixture between several ramekins and place them on a baking tray.

• Next, fill the baking tray with hot water, until the water comes about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins (Bain Marie). The custard will cook slowly and evenly.

• Bake in a oven at 160C until the custard is set, but still wobbly, around 20 to 25 minutes.
• Let them cool completely and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
• Just before serving, sprinkle the surface of each ramekin evenly with one teaspoon of sugar.

• Use a blow torch to caramelise the sugar and form a crust. Use a circular motion and move the flame around. Make sure that all the sugar granules have melted and the sugar has at least a tint of caramel colour.

Tips

• My secret for a perfect creme brûlée is to skim the foam off the top of the custard with a blow torch after pouring the mixture into the ramekins and before putting them into the oven, the bubbles will disappear immediately. You do not want a bumpy texture.
• A perfect creme brûlée has creamy custard and a crackling top when you first put your spoon in.