Custard Purin (カスタードプリン)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Six 120ml heatproof purin cups, or small ramekins
• •Wide lidded pot for yūsen, with a folded towel or low rack
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Aluminum foil or small cup lids

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the cups

   Set six 120ml heatproof purin cups near the stove. Have the hot water for the caramel measured before you begin, because caramel changes from amber to bitter black quickly. Dry cups help the caramel spread thinly and set cleanly.

2. 2

   Make the caramel

   Put the 90g sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small heavy pan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then cook without stirring, swirling the pan only if one side darkens faster. When it turns deep amber, the color of strong tea, take the pan off the heat and add the 2 tablespoons hot water carefully. It will hiss and jump. Swirl until smooth, then divide it among the cups. The caramel must be a little bitter because the milk and egg will soften it; pale caramel tastes only sweet.

   Do not stir once the syrup is boiling. Stirring can drag sugar crystals down the side of the pan and make the caramel grainy.
3. 3

   Warm the milk

   Warm the milk and 75g sugar over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Stop when the milk is hot to the touch, about 50 to 60°C, but nowhere near boiling. Hot milk would cook the eggs on contact, while cold milk makes the custard harder to blend evenly.

4. 4

   Mix the custard

   Break the eggs into a bowl and stir them gently with chopsticks or a whisk until the whites and yolks are joined. Do not whip. Pour in the warm milk a little at a time, stirring steadily, then add the vanilla if using. The goal is mixing, not air. Air becomes bubbles, and bubbles become holes in the finished purin.

   Fresh eggs and whole milk are the quiet sourcing here. There is no sauce to hide thin milk or tired eggs.
5. 5

   Strain and fill

   Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a jug, then strain it once more if you see egg threads. Let it stand five minutes and skim off any foam. Pour it gently over the hardened caramel and cover each cup with foil or a small lid. Straining removes the ropey white strands from the egg, and covering the cups keeps water drops from marking the surface.

6. 6

   Set the bath

   Lay a folded kitchen towel or a low rack in a wide lidded pot and set the cups on top. Pour hot water around them until it reaches halfway up the sides. This is yūsen, a hot-water bath. The towel steadies the cups and softens the direct heat from the pot, which is how you keep the custard tender.

7. 7

   Cook softly

   Cover the pot and keep the water between 80 and 85°C for 25 to 30 minutes. If you don't have a thermometer, the water should mutter quietly with tiny bubbles, never knock against the cups. The purin is done when the edges are set and the center trembles as one soft piece; an instant-read thermometer in the center should read about 80 to 83°C. Let the bath climb over 90°C and the custard tightens, weeps, and loses the smooth kissaten texture you came for.

   Crack the lid slightly if the water gets too lively. Gentle heat is not politeness here; it is the method.
8. 8

   Chill and unmold

   Lift the cups from the bath and cool them at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate, covered, for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight. The chill finishes the set, and the hard caramel slowly loosens into sauce. To serve, run a thin knife around the edge, dip the cup in warm water for 10 seconds, invert onto a small plate, and give one firm shake. If it resists, warm the cup a few seconds more. Don't dig at it, or you'll scar the sides.

Chef Tips

• •Use whole milk, not cream and not low-fat milk. Cream makes the purin heavy, low-fat milk makes it thin, and the kissaten style sits cleanly between the two.
• •Take the caramel darker than honey but stop before it smells burnt. The finished sauce should be bittersweet enough to pull the custard into balance.
• •If you're nervous, use a thermometer. Custard behaves very well between 80 and 85°C. Above 90°C it starts acting like it has been insulted.
• •Small cups are not decoration. They set evenly, chill quickly, and give the portion the restraint this dessert wants.

Advance Preparation

• •Purin is best made at least 4 hours ahead, and it is very good the next day. Keep the cups covered in the refrigerator.
• •The caramel may harden in the cup before the custard goes in. That is correct. It loosens into sauce while the purin chills.
• •Unmold just before serving. Once turned out, the caramel runs and the clean shape begins to soften.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 135g)