Rhubarb Crème Brulée

Somebody told me about the wonderful combination of the smooth crème brulée with a hint of tart rhubarb at the end, and I just had to try it.   Reader, I married him.    Yes, it was truly amazing, and I'm not sure I'll find it easy to go back to the original version!    I wasn't sure if the rhubarb mixture would stay at the bottom of the little dishes, so I popped them into the freezer for a bit just to give it the best chance.   I left one out, as a control, but then it was impossible to tell, so it must work both ways.

One of my darling sons has given me a cook's blowtorch, so I can now do the professional top to the brulée.   It does make a difference - maybe that's one for the Christmas list?

On a recent trip to France, my husband and I tried several different crèmes brulées, and there was a lot of variation there, including a hot one with alcohol as a finisher.  Hmmm....

Rhubarb Crème Brulée

Rhubarb Crème Brulée

8oz/220g pink rhubarb

2tbsp jam sugar (or granulated)

2tbsp water

4 egg yolks

2oz (50g) caster sugar 

600ml (20 fl oz) double cream

half a vanilla pod

Caramel:   2oz caster sugar and a little water

6 little ramekin dishes (actually, about 7 because the rhubarb takes up some space)

Cut the rhubarb into 1/2"/1cm pieces and arrange in a single layer in a saucepan, sprinkling over the sugar and adding the water.  Simmer gently until soft.  Mash up so that it is not a paste, but still has some little chunks.  Divide it between the 6 dishes and allow to cool (or put in the freezer for 20 minutes).

Boil a kettle of water (I always forget this bit).... and heat the oven to about 140-150 deg C.   Heat the double cream in a saucepan over a low heat, scraping in the seeds from the vanilla pod, plus the pod itself.      Meanwhile, mix the yolks and sugar together.  When the cream is at blood temperature, pour it (minus pod) over the yolks/sugar and whisk gently until well mixed.   

Pour the crème into six ramekin dishes, over the back of a spoon so as not to disturb the rhubarb, and place the dishes in a roasting tin containing enough boiling water to come at least half way up the sides.   Bake for about an hour until the mixture is set but not coloured (better that than runny though!).    Remove from the water, and allow to cool.   

If you have a cook's blowtorch, sprinkle 1tsp caster sugar over each little dish and then torch it until it has caramelised. 

If not, over high heat, melt the caster sugar with a little water, stirring until it boils, and then watch it until it turns brown and caramelises.  Carefully (it is HOT), pour evenly over the ramekins and allow to cool.