An elegant and soothing end to dinner — the gentle sweetness and slight smokiness of the caramel and brandy are even better alongside an espresso.
Serves: 4 people
INGREDIENTS
01 Heat the oven to 160C (180C non-fan).
02 Place a 21.5cm x 11cm x 7cm loaf tin onto a roasting tray and fill the tray with enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the tin. Place the tray into the oven to warm.
03 Place the granulated sugar into a 20cm-25cm heavy-bottomed pan and cover with 100ml cold water. Dissolve the sugar over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Once it has dissolved, turn up the heat and do not stir , but keep watching the pan. After 8 minutes, when the bubbles have become larger and are fewer, lift the pan from the heat every so often and swirl the contents to bring the caramelised edges into the centre.
04 Remove the loaf tin from the oven, leaving the roasting tin of water inside, and place it near you.
05 Once the caramel mixture has turned a terracotta colour, carefully remove the pan from the heat. Pour it into the loaf tin: it will sputter a little, so stand back. Don’t worry if you can’t get it all out. Using an oven glove or tea towel, swirl the tin to coat the bottom and sides with the caramel. Set aside.
06 Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise with the tip of a knife, being careful not to slice through both sides. Fold back the edges and flatten the pod, then run the blade along it at a downward angle to pull the seeds away from the pod. Add the seeds and empty pod to a pan and cover with the milk.
07 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and caster sugar lightly so as not to create bubbles.
08 Heat the milk over a low heat. Once you see steam from the milk and it’s warm to the touch, remove from the heat and pour it over the beaten eggs — if the milk is too hot, it will scramble them. Stir through the brandy. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug.
09 Pour the custard into the caramel-lined loaf tin and carefully transfer the tin to the warm water of the roasting tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are set and the centre is still slightly wobbly. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes before placing in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight, to set.
10 When you’re ready, remove the loaf tin from the fridge and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Put a plate over the loaf tin and, holding them together, turn upside down so that the custard and caramel sit on the plate. Trim the edges and cut into generous rectangles, placing each one carefully onto a plate in a puddle of caramel.
