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Salted Maple Vanilla Bean Pot de Crème

Source of Recipe

From "To the Last Bite" by Alexis Deboschnek


Recipe Introduction

"I was certainly not the first kid who grew up with long, dreary winters to try this, but when I was seven, it felt like a revelation. After a fresh snow, which in the Catskills happens weekly, if not daily, I would trudge outside and pack a bowlful of snow. Then I'd come inside and pour maple syrup over the top, letting it seep into the snow, making a kind of slushy maple candy. This pot de crème is a few tiers above my snow and syrup mixture, but still feels like a discovery."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
â—¦ ¾ cup whole milk
â—¦ 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, pod reserved or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ 6 egg yolks
â—¦ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
â—¦ â…› teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ¼ cup pure maple syrup
â—¦ Flaky sea salt, to serve


Recipe

Add the cream, milk, and vanilla bean seeds and scraped pod to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture begins to simmer, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and steep for at least 1 hour at room temperature to infuse the cream.

Preheat the oven to 300° F. Bring a kettle filled with water to a boil.

Reheat the cream mixture over medium heat until simmering, about 5 minutes, then strain through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large glass measuring cup with a pour spout, discarding the vanilla bean pod.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until smooth. While still whisking, pour the cream mixture into the eggs and keep whisking until smooth. Once again, pour the mixture through the fine-mesh sieve into the measuring cup, then divide it among four 4-ounce ramekins or oven-safe bowls.

Place the ramekins in a 9-inch square pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish and carefully fill the dish with boiling water from the kettle going halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place a piece of aluminum foil securely over the baking dish and poke it with a fork all over to let some steam release while baking. Very carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the edges of the pot de crème are just set, and the center still has a slight jiggle, 25 to 30 minutes. They will continue to set as they chill.

Let the ramekins sit in the water for 10 minutes, then very carefully transfer to the counter to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Pour 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over each pot de crème, tilting the ramekin to cover the entire surface. Transfer the ramekins, uncovered, to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days.

Before serving, sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Serves 4