This is a recipe for creme brulee from London's Connaught Hotel by chef Michel Bourdin
as featured in Saveur Magazine. For product source information and more recipes,
please refer to the April 2001 issue of Saveur.
Serves 4
Although frozen truffles may be used for this unusual dessert, Bourdin highly recommends
fresh ones in this case for their intense flavor.
1 1-oz. fresh black truffle, thinly sliced (see pages 94 and 98)
1 tsp. cognac
1/4 tsp. madeira
1/4 tsp. ruby port
1/4 tsp. dry sherry
6 eggs
1 1/4 cups double cream (see
pages 91 and 98)
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
16 fresh raspberries
4 tsp. demerara sugar
1. Put about a third of the truffle slices into a small bowl, add cognac, madeira, port,
and sherry, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to let marinate overnight. Put
remaining truffle slices and eggs (in their shells) together in a tightly covered bowl and
refrigerate overnight.
2. Remove truffle slices from bowl, cut all but 4 into 1/8" dice, and set aside.
Put marinated truffle slices and any truffle trimmings in center of 4"-square piece
of cheesecloth, reserving marinade. Gather corners of cheesecloth together, tie closed
with kitchen twine, and set aside.
3. Combine double cream,
whipping cream, and reserved truffle marinade in a medium-heavy saucepan. Add truffle
sachet and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, crack eggs and separate yolks from whites, putting yolks into a medium
mixing bowl and reserving whites for another use. Add sugar to yolks and whisk until yolks
become pale yellow and sugar has dissolved. Slowly pour half of the hot cream into yolks,
whisking constantly, then gradually add mixture back into hot cream in sauce pan, stirring
with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbles
begin to appear, about 4 minutes. Immediately strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Discard truffle sachet. Stir reserved diced truffles into custard.
5. Put 4 raspberries into each of four 4-oz. heatproof dishes. Fill dishes with
custard. Let cool, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. Before
serving, sprinkle 1 tsp. demerara sugar evenly over each custard and use a blowtorch (see
page 98) to caramelize tops. Put 1 of the reserved truffle slices on each custard.
