Crème Caramel Reversed

Crème Caramel Reversed

Source agardenforthehouse.com

A traditional French/Spanish dessert, as made by Kevin Lee Jacobs

Ingredients for 6-8 servings

For the Caramel:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons water

For the custard:

• 5 large, whole eggs plus 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 3/4 cups whole milk, heated to just below the simmer
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Special Equipment: A 6-8-cup fairly straight-sided mold of some kind (I used a Charlotte mold, but a common souffle dish will work, too); a fine-mesh strainer; a baking dish which is at least 2 inches deep

Method :

The Caramel:

• 1. Pour the sugar and water into a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium-low flame. You can swirl the syrup by the handle of the pan, but do not stir it. Let boil quietly until the syrup turns caramel brown — about 10 minutes.
• 2. Immediately pour the caramel into the mold. Swirl the mold so that the syrup coats the bottom and about          2 inches of the sides.

The Custard:

• Set the oven rack at the lower-third position; preheat the oven to 350°F
• 1. Put the whole eggs and the egg yolks in a big mixing bowl, and beat them with a wire whisk. Then whisk in the sugar. Whisking constantly, beat in the hot milk by big droplets, followed by the vanilla.
• 2. Set the strainer over the mold, and then pour in the custard. Set the mold in the baking dish, add enough boiling water to reach half-way up the sides of the mold, and then bake in the preheated oven until set — 50-60 minutes. The custard is done when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• 3. Let the custard cool to room-temperature — 2 to 3 hours (or cover with a bowl and refrigerate for up to 24 hours).
• 4. To unmold, first run a knife along the edge of the custard. Then set a serving plate over the mold, and invert the two.
• Serve cold or at room temperature, spooning some of the pooled caramel onto each plate.