Butterscotch Pots de Crème

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Light-colored saucepan (2-quart)
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Six 4-ounce ramekins or pots de crème cups
• •Deep baking dish or roasting pan for water bath
• •Kettle for hot water

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the butter

   Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and place in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Light-colored so you can watch the transformation. The butter will foam and sputter as the water cooks off. Swirl the pan occasionally. After four to five minutes, golden flecks will appear at the bottom and the foam will subside. The kitchen will smell of hazelnuts. The moment the butter turns deep amber and the solids are chestnut brown, remove from heat. This happens quickly once it starts.

   Brown butter is the soul of this custard. Do not rush it, but do not walk away. The line between brown and burnt is measured in seconds.
2. 2

   Build the butterscotch

   Add the dark brown sugar to the hot brown butter and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick and bubbling, about two minutes. The sugar will dissolve into the fat and deepen in color. You are building the foundation of flavor here: the molasses in dark brown sugar meeting the toasted milk solids in your butter. This is where the magic lives.

3. 3

   Add the dairy

   Slowly pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly. The mixture will seize and sputter, which is expected. Keep stirring. Add the milk and continue to stir over medium-low heat until the butterscotch dissolves completely into the dairy, about three minutes. The liquid should be smooth, deep amber, and fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the fine sea salt.

   If stubborn bits of caramel remain, return to low heat and stir patiently. They will surrender.
4. 4

   Temper the yolks

   Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until smooth. Ladle about half a cup of the warm butterscotch mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs, raising their temperature gently so they do not scramble. Add another ladle, whisking. Then pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining butterscotch, stirring to combine.

5. 5

   Add vanilla and strain

   Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl or large measuring cup with a spout. Straining removes any chalazae from the eggs and ensures a texture like silk. Let the custard rest for ten minutes while you prepare the ramekins. Skim any foam from the surface.

   Resting allows air bubbles to rise and pop. Patience here means a flawless surface later.
6. 6

   Prepare for baking

   Preheat your oven to 300°F. Arrange six 4-ounce ramekins or pots de crème cups in a deep baking dish or roasting pan. Divide the custard evenly among them. The cups should be about three-quarters full. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

7. 7

   Create the water bath

   Place the baking dish on the oven rack, pulled partway out. Carefully pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. The water bath ensures gentle, even heat. Slide the rack back in slowly so no water splashes into the custards.

8. 8

   Bake until just set

   Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The custards are done when the edges are set but the centers still tremble like a wave when you tap the pan. They should jiggle, not slosh. The carryover heat will finish the cooking. Better to pull them slightly early than to overbake into something dense.

   Start checking at 35 minutes. Ovens vary, and custards are unforgiving of overcooking.
9. 9

   Cool and chill

   Carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and set on a wire rack to cool for thirty minutes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours, or overnight. The custards need time to set fully and for the flavors to deepen. Cold butterscotch has a different character than warm: more toffee, more complexity.

10. 10

    Finish and serve

    Remove from the refrigerator fifteen minutes before serving. A cold custard straight from the refrigerator tastes muted. Let the pots de crème warm slightly on the counter until they lose their chill. Finish each with a few flakes of good sea salt. The salt is not garnish. It is the counterpoint that makes the butterscotch sing.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out butter with high fat content, at least 82 percent. European-style butter browns more beautifully and tastes cleaner. The quality shows in the finished custard.
• •Dark brown sugar is essential, not optional. Light brown sugar makes a pleasant custard but misses the depth of flavor that defines real butterscotch. The molasses matters.
• •If you can find fresh cream from a local dairy, the difference is remarkable. Cream that tastes like milk from actual cows makes custard that tastes like something your grandmother would have been proud to serve.
• •The flaky salt at the end is not decoration. It is the note that makes your palate pay attention. Taste without it, then with it. You will understand.

Advance Preparation

• •The custards can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated. The flavor deepens as they rest. Keep them covered to prevent them from absorbing refrigerator odors.
• •The butterscotch base (before adding eggs) can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Rewarm gently before tempering into the yolks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 140g)