Crème Brulée 焦糖布丁

Rezept auf Deutsch - Crème Brulée
中文食譜 - 焦糖布丁

Crème Brulée
Ingredients for 2 servings

• 30g granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons for topping
• 2 egg yolks
• 200ml whipping cream
• Flavorings: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon rum, kirsch, cognac or orange liqueur of your choice

Preparation

• Preheat the whipping cream in a saucepan in low heat, but not bring to simmer.
• In a mixing bowl, beat in the egg yolks, gradually add the sugar and continue beating for 3~5 minutes until the mixture become pale yellow, add the vanilla extract and mix well.
• Very gradually pour the warmed whipping cream into the yolk mixture, continue beating until all cream is combined.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, set in low heat but not bring to simmer, stir slowly until the sauce become light and creamy, turn off the heat and add flavoring spirit.
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a serving dish. Then cover and refrigerate.
• Before serving, sprinkle a layer of sugar on the top, then use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar till brown and crispy. Enjoy!

Erik Satie - Gnossiennes No. 1 - Lent, by Aldo Ciccolini

Ingredients checklist:  granulated sugar, egg yolks, whipping cream, vanilla extract, spirit of your choice.

Utensils checklist: a enameled saucepan, a mixing bowl, a wire whip, a wooden or plastic spatula, a sieve, a blow torch. 

Heat the whipping cream to lukewarm.

Separate egg whites and egg yolks, beat in the sugar with the yolks.

After the yolks turn to pale yellow, add the vanilla extract.

Slowly, pour the warmed whipping cream into the yolk mixture and stir continually, this step is called "tempering" to warm the yolks slowly without cooking. Please do it with care.  

Set the custard in low heat but not bring to simmer, stir slowly until the mixture become light and creamy.

Add your favorite spirit, and strain the mixture into the serving dish to form a fine custard.

The highlight of Crème Brulée - take the chilled custard from the fridge, and sprinkle a layer of sugar. 

Caramelize with a blow torch, and it is ready to serve : )

Mini Tips: 

Crème Brulée, direct translate is burn cream. The British believe that the "Burnt Cambridge Cream" or "Trinity Cream" was invented in Cambridge. The Spanish also have their similar recipe called "Cream Catalana". The first record can date back to 1691, in the cookbook of French chef François Massialot, "Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois", although the origin of the recipe still under debate. Until 19th Century, the French brought this elegant dessert from Paris restaurants to the world, and of course, this beautiful name "Crème Brulée" became one of the famous french dessert.

Hmm... the mouth watering caramelized sugar with creamy custard, a perfect bite. 

The cookware stores usually sell the blow torch in an expensive price. You may find it much cheaper in hardware or camping stores. Just connect with a gas cartridge and will have same effect.  This one is bought by my friend May, thanks!

Reference cookbook:

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle & Simone Beck

Blanquette of Lamb in French traditional Style - Blanquette d'agneau à L'ancienne

Lammfrikassee nach alter Französische Art - Rezept auf Deutsch

傳統法式白汁燴羊肉 - 中文食譜

Blanquette of lamb in French traditional Style

Ingredients for 4 servings 

• 500g lamb
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• half onion
• 1 carrot
• 20~40 pearl onions
• 300g button mushroom
• 2 bouquet garni containing few pieces of leeks and bay leaves, and few stalk of celery and thyme
• few cloves
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 tablespoon crème fraiche
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 egg yolk
• salts for seasoning
• Kitchen string

Preparation

• Rinse the lamb and cut into chunks
• Peel the carrot and cut into chunks
• Sprinkle the lemon juice over the mushrooms and set aside
• Stud the cloves into the onion and prepare bouquet garni
• Place the lamb in a stew pot and cover with cold water, simmer for 15 mins, Pour the water and lamb into a strainer and rinse off the scums.
• Return the lamb into a cleaned stew pot, pour in vegetable stock and cook in medium heat, skim all the remaining scums. Once all the scums are removed and form a clear soup, add carrots, onions and 1 bouquet garni. Cover the pot and simmer for 1~1.5 hours.
• While the lamb is cooking, peel and remove the roots of the pearl onions. In another small pot, place onions with 1 tablespoon butter, 1 bouquet garni and ¼ cup of the stock from the cooking lamb. Cover the pot and simmer for half hour.
• After the lamb become tender, remove the bouquet garni and onion, and pour the stock into a bowl.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan and whisk in the flour. Turn off the heat and pour in the lamb stock and the remaining stock from pearl onions. Return to heat and whisk frequently to avoid the lumps.
• Bring the stock to boil, add mushroom and simmer for 10 minutes, seasoning if desired.
• Pour the mushrooms and stock into the lamb, add 1 tablespoon crème fraiche and mix well. Hmm... the Veal Blanquette is nearly done.
• Before serving- In a small bowl, whisk the egg york with 2 tablespoons crème fraiche and ¼ lamb stock, then pour the mixture back into the pot. Reheat the Blanquette of Lamb in medium heat but do not bring to boil. Serve with pearl onions, white rice, noodles or potatoes and sprinkle with parsley. Oh! My "Blanquette d'agneau à L'ancienne" is done! Bon Appetit!!

Nouvelle Vague - Dance with me

Ingredient checklist: lamb, vegetable stock, onion, carrot, pearl onions, mushrooms, herbs, cloves, butter, flour, Crème fraiche, lemon juice, egg yolk 
Utensils checklist: kitchen string, a whisk, a stew pot, a small soup pot, a frying pan

Stud the cloves into the onion and prepare bouquet garni

Remove all the scums

When it become a clear soup, then place the vegetables into the stock.... Sorry, my Emile Henry is too small

Cook the pearl onions in another soup pot

Then prepare the mushroom

Before serving, prepare the egg yolk sauce

Mini Tips:

Bouquet Garni is very common in French cuisine, usually found in making soup, stock and stews. During cooking the herbs will not fall off into the soup, and it will be removed after the cooking is complete. Apart from using string, the herbs can be enclosed by cheesecloth or teabags. There is no fixed recipe for the selection of herbs, the following Bouquet Garni is one of the common combinations.

First, remove the parsley leaves and cut the leek into small pieces. Place the parsley stems and thyme in the middle, then warp with the bay leaves and leek. And use a string to tie them together.

My dear Ingrid, many thanks for the German Name!

Tomato Vegetable Soup with Herbs de Provence 普羅旺斯香草番茄雜菜湯

Tomaten Gemüsesuppe mit Kräuter de Provence - Rezept auf Deutsch
普羅旺斯香草番茄雜菜湯 - 中文食譜

Tomato Vegetable Soup with Herbs de Provence

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 2 Tomatoes
• 1 Potato
• 1 Carrot
• 2 sticks celery
• 1 onion
• 2 shallot
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence 
• salt and black pepper for seasoning

Preparation

• Rinse and cut the tomatoes into quarters, peel the potato and cut into quarters, peel onion and shallot then chop into small pieces, rinse carrot and celery sticks then cut into small pieces.
• Heat olive oil in a soup pot, fry onion and shallot briefly, then add tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and celery. Fry all the ingredients briefly and pour in water.
• Bring the soup to boil, follow with tomato paste, ketchup and mixed herbs, turn to low heat and simmer for 1 hour. To serve, season with salt and pepper.

Emilie Simon - Opium

Ingredient checklist: Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, shallot, ketchup, tomato paste, mixed herbs

 Pan fry all the ingredients

Add water and the entire seasonings

Provence, located in southern France. The warm Mediterranean weather is a gift for agriculture. Apart from world famous lavender, Provence also producing best quality herbs.

Herbs de Provence- usually mix with savory, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano and basil. The freshness flavour just like the Mediterranean weather. Match with olive oil, white meats and vegetables make uncountable delicious dishes.

Verger en fleurs avec la vue sur Arles 

Orchard in Bloom with a view of Arles

Vincent van Gogh - painted in Arles, Provence 1889

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