Vanilla Crème Brûlée — Six Baked Ramekins

Preheat oven to 163°C and arrange six 180ml heatproof ramekins spaced apart in a deep baking dish.

Place 720ml cream with one split and scraped vanilla bean (including pod) in a saucepan; heat almost to a simmer, remove from heat and steep 15 minutes.

Strain the cream to remove the vanilla pod. Separately whisk five egg yolks with 100g sugar and 1/8 tsp salt.

Slowly whisk the warm, not boiling, cream into the yolk mixture; strain the combined custard again through a fine sieve.

Divide custard among six ramekins. Slowly pour hot water into the outer baking dish until it reaches halfway up the ramekin sides.

Bake at 163°C about 30–40 minutes until edges set, the centers gently wobble and the center temperature reaches about 77–82°C.

Cool custards in the bath; carefully remove the ramekins without spilling hot water, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Do not leave perishable custards out for more than two hours.

Just before serving, blot moisture from each chilled custard and sprinkle evenly with 1–1 1/2 tsp sugar per ramekin.

Move a kitchen torch continuously over the sugar until it melts and caramelizes amber; let the top harden briefly and serve. Keep the flame away from people, cloth and plastic.