Blood Orange Crème Brûlée

Preheat oven to 150°C or 300°F.

Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and use a knife to scrape the seeds out. In a pot, combine vanilla seeds and pod, heavy cream and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until it thickens. Discard the vanilla pod.

Meanwhile, combine egg yolks with sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually pour cream mixture in, whisking constantly. Add blood orange juice and grated zest and mix well.

Carefully pour mixture into ramekins. Place them in a large baking form. Pour hot water into the baking form until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place the baking form in the oven for 30–35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Right before serving sprinkle the custard with 1 tablespoon brown sugar for each ramekin and use one of the 5 methods described below to caramelize the sugar. Garnish with blood orange zest. Enjoy!

To caramelize the sugar, use one of the 5 methods described below:
1. A crème brûlée torch is a classic method of caramelizing the topping. It can be used for other things like caramelizing meringue and marshmallows, crisping meat, charring vegetables, skinning tomatoes and melting cheese on gratins.
2. A blow torch works well for crème brûlée and can be used for lighting the grill, gardening or fixing copper pipes.
3. The broiler or grill can be a good option, too. You have to let your crème brûlée cool completely before using it. Set it on very hot and put your crème brûlée underneath for a couple of minutes until the crust is golden brown.
4. The oven can be used if you make your crème brûlée ahead. Take a piece of parchment paper and turn an empty ramekin over. Use a pencil to circle it around. Repeat as many times as you need. Spray your circles with a nonstick cooking spray. Then sprinkle a rather thick layer of brown sugar in your circles, trying not to go beyond the shape. Broil them in the top shelf of the hot oven for some minutes, until golden brown. I recommend you to use this method if you prepare your crème brûlée one or two days ahead because this way the sugar doesn’t get soggy, as it doesn’t touch the moist custard surface. The crust should be put on the crème brûlée directly before serving. Also, you can make different shapes (using cookie cutters is a good idea, too!) and use them for the variety of desserts.
5. Using a mixture of alcohol and sugar is a spectacular way to serve your crème brûlée. Sprinkle the custard with brown sugar and pour a bit of hard liquor of your choice. It can be vodka, gin, rum, brandy or whisky. One tablespoon will be more than enough. Use a normal lighter or matches to burn it and enjoy the show.