Crème brûlée

Split the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and add both seeds and pod to the cream. Heat until small bubbles appear at the edge without boiling, then take off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.

No vanilla pod? Use 10 g of vanilla sugar and cut the regular sugar in the custard by 10 g.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with 80 g of sugar until the sugar dissolves, without beating in air.

Don't throw the whites away: freeze them for meringues or an omelette later.

Preheat the oven to 150 °C. Remove the vanilla pod and pour the warm cream into the yolks in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Strain the mixture through a sieve.

If you pour in the hot cream all at once, the yolks will curdle.

Divide the custard between four 150 ml ramekins. Set them in a deep roasting tin and pour in hot water to come halfway up their sides.

Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre still wobbles slightly like jelly.

Use oven mitts and take the tin out carefully: the hot water sloshes easily.

Let the ramekins cool on the counter, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Chilling takes at least 4 hours, so make the dessert the day before.

Just before serving, sprinkle each custard with an even layer of sugar, about 1 tbsp, and caramelize with a kitchen torch until amber. Let the caramel harden for 1–2 minutes. Done!

No torch? Put the ramekins under a very hot oven grill for 2–3 minutes and watch closely: sugar burns in seconds. Don't touch the hot caramel.