Creme Brulee
Here at ECHO we love cooking on the river and sometimes we get a wild hair to try things out of the ordinary. Last week we decided to try and make Creme Brulee from scratch. We found a great recipe on the internet and scaled it up for a group of 30.
Ingredients
36 egg yolks
2-1/4 cups white sugar, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
15 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup brown sugar
Directions
1. Prepare 2 dutch ovens by heating the lids and lighting 50 coals.
2. Separate 36 egg yolks. Add 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until thick and creamy.
3. Pour cream into a dutch oven and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
![Audrey Stirring the Cream in a Dutch Oven Audrey Stirring the Cream in a Dutch Oven](http://www.echotrips.com/wp_prior/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Creme-Brulee-Cream.jpg)
Audrey Stirring the Cream in a Dutch Oven
4. Pour cream mixture into the top of a double boiler. You can create a double boiler by placing a dutch oven in a bigger pan or a dish pail. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately.
![Zach and Audrey Using the Homemade Double Boiler Zach and Audrey Using the Homemade Double Boiler](http://www.echotrips.com/wp_prior/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Creme-Brulee-Boiler.jpg)
Zach and Audrey Using the Homemade Double Boiler
5. Separate cream mixture into 2 dutch ovens. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature by holding the dutch ovens in the river.
![Baking the Custard in Dutch Ovens Baking the Custard in Dutch Ovens](http://www.echotrips.com/wp_prior/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Creme-Brulee-Dutch-Oven.jpg)
Baking the Custard in Dutch Ovens
6. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour by putting the dutch ovens on ice in a cooler.
![Custard Dutch Ovens on Ice Custard Dutch Ovens on Ice](http://www.echotrips.com/wp_prior/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Creme-Brulee-Cooler.jpg)
Custard Dutch Ovens on Ice
7. In a small bowl combine the remaining brown and white sugar.
8. Scoop the custard into small bowls (sierra cups work great) and use a spoon to create an even top surface. Sift the sugar mixture evenly over the top of each cup.
![Adding Custard to Sierra Cups Adding Custard to Sierra Cups](http://www.echotrips.com/wp_prior/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Creme-Brulee-Prep.jpg)
Adding Custard to Sierra Cups
9. Use small propane torch or creme brulee torch to carmelize the sugar. It should melt into a solid layer on top of the custard.
Sugar