This is an all-time classic, and deservedly so. My version – baked in ramekins in a bain marie – is guaranteed to avoid the potential pitfalls of custard that won’t set or sugar that somehow scorches before it melts.

Using soft brown sugar for the caramel top may not be authentic, but it has a lower melting point than caster sugar and behaves more predictably under the hot grill (or cook’s blowtorch).

You do need to make the custards well in advance, as chilling them thoroughly in the fridge before the final sugar melting is vital. In summer and autumn I like to serve crème brûlée with a small bowl of fresh raspberries on the side.

These can be eaten as ‘sharpeners’ between mouthfuls of creamy, sugary brûlée – or dropped right into the custard once the burned sugar top has been cracked.

Serves six:?

500ml double cream
One vanilla pod
100g caster sugar
Six medium egg yolks
About three tablespoons soft brown sugar

Pour the cream into a saucepan. Slit the vanilla pod open lengthways and scrape out the seeds into the cream with the tip of a sharp knife, then add the pod to the pan too.

Scald the cream by bringing to just below boiling point, then taking off the heat. Leave for a few minutes to infuse with the vanilla.??Whisk the caster sugar and egg yolks together in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the hot, vanilla-infused cream.

Strain through a fine sieve into a jug. Pour the custard into six 125ml ramekins or custard cups.

Stand the dishes in a roasting dish and surround with enough hand-hot water to come halfway up their sides.

Place in an oven preheated to 150°C/Gas Mark 2 and bake for about 30 minutes until the custards are just set; they should still wobble a bit if you shake the dish gently. ??

Lift out of the roasting dish and leave to cool, then chill thoroughly. Sprinkle a very thin, even layer of soft brown sugar over each custard and put them under a very hot grill until the sugar melts and bubbles (or use a cook’s blowtorch, if you have one).

Leave to cool, return the ramekins to the fridge until the sugar is hard – just 15 minutes or so should do it – then serve.??

Variation?:

Bramley or rhubarb crème brûlée??

I sometimes put a little Bramley apple compote (page 339 of Every Day) or rhubarb compote (page 344) in the ramekins before filling them with the custard.

The compote should be tart, to cut the richness of the brûlée, and not too runny.

Fill the ramekins between a quarter and a third of the way up with the compote, then pour in the custard to within 1-2mm of the top. Bake and finish as above.

Curried Fish Pie is just one recipe from my most recent book, Every Day, which is signed by myself and available from the River Cottage online shop, where you can save £7.50.