Everyone loves a crème brûlée, but few of us have the time or experience to nail it every time. Well, if that sounds like you, Ed has a brilliant solution. A no bake custard recipe that works perfectly and caramelises exactly the way you want. And when cooking in a stone fruit orchard, you can’t not cook with a stone fruit! So, the brûlée not only features some Ed’s favourite ingredients in herbs and vanilla but is beautifully complimented by some very fresh, but unusual green plums.
Ingredients
Method
Combine rosemary, cardamom and vanilla in a medium saucepan with 1 cup water and set over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, until reduced by three-quarters. Add milk and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Put yolks, 3/4 cup of the sugar and cornflour in a bowl and whisk until very light. Strain in milk, discarding bean, then pour in a second saucepan and return to heat, simmering until mix just begins to bubble. Don’t let it boil.
Pour custard into 3/4 cup capacity ramekins. Chill until firm.
With a small sharp knife, cut off plum cheeks and put in a bowl. Put juice, grappa, bay leaves, cloves and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan over high heat and boil for 3 minutes. Pour over plums, stir, then set aside to cool.
Sprinkle remaining sugar over custards, then caramelise with a blow-
torch. Serve immediately with plums.
COOK’S TIP
Grape-sized Janerik green plums are tangy and crisp. Find them at farmers’ markets and greengrocers. For a sweeter taste, substitute green grapes.
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