Brûléed Clementines
A citrus twist on the beloved crème brûlée classic
- Prep time: 275 minutes
- Cook time: 35 minutes
What if we transformed our lovely imperfect clementines into a sophisticated dessert? This recipe reinvents the traditional crème brûlée by adding all the freshness and tang of seasonal clementines. The result? A creamy, fragrant, and lightly caramelized dessert that will have your guests melting. Perfect for making the most of these little citrus gems just waiting to shine!
Ingredients
Recipe steps
Prepare the citrus infusion
Thoroughly wash 3 clementines and remove their zest using a vegetable peeler (avoid the white pith—it’s bitter). Squeeze these 3 clementines to get about 10 cl of fresh juice. In a saucepan, pour in the heavy cream, add the zest and the seeds from the vanilla pod split in half. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, then remove from heat and let infuse for 15 minutes, covered.
Prepare the custard
Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). In a mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Strain the infused cream to remove the zest, then gently reheat it. Gradually pour the warm cream over the egg yolks while whisking constantly to avoid “cooking” the eggs. Add the clementine juice and mix gently.
Bake in a water bath
Divide the mixture among 4 individual ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30-35 minutes. The custard should be set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center. Remove from the oven, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is ideal).
Caramelize
Just before serving, evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over each custard. Caramelize with a kitchen torch using circular motions until you get a beautiful golden, crunchy crust. Let it harden for 1 minute before enjoying.
Tips and variations
- No kitchen torch? Place your ramekins under the oven broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully. Or use a metal spoon heated directly over your stovetop flame.
- The finishing touch! Add a few segments from the 4th clementine on top of the custard before caramelizing, or arrange them prettily around the edge after caramelizing for a gorgeous, appetizing look.
- Express infusion: If you’re short on time, after removing the infused cream from heat, let it steep for just 5 minutes and add 1 teaspoon of grated clementine zest directly into the custard.
Anti-waste tips
Don’t throw away your zest after infusing! Dry them on parchment paper for 24-48 hours, then blend them into a homemade citrus powder. Perfect for flavoring your yogurts, cakes, or teas!
You can also candy them in a syrup (equal parts water and sugar) to turn them into a tasty decoration or treats to dip in dark chocolate.
And those 4 leftover egg whites? Make a batch of crispy meringues or almond financiers!
