Tahini crème brûlée

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A wonderful twist on the classic crème brûlée, this dessert has tahini in the custard and a sesame seed tuile alongside, adding plenty of flavour to the perfectly set custards. The tuiles can be made in advance, and you can also cook the custards in advance too – leaving only the final caramelisation to do before serving.

First published in 2020
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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 150g of single cream
  • 300g of whole milk
  • 80g of egg yolk, (approx. 4 large egg yolks)
  • 75g of caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 60g of tahini, the best quality you can find
  • toasted sesame oil, to finish

Sesame tuile

  • 40g of whole milk
  • 80g of unsalted butter
  • 40g of liquid glucose
  • 50g of caster sugar
  • 2g of pectin, ideally yellow pectin
  • 100g of sesame seeds
  • 20g of plain flour

Equipment

  • Blowtorch

Method

1
Begin by making the sesame tuiles, as these can be done in advance and kept in an airtight container until needed. Warm the milk, butter and glucose in a saucepan over a low heat, then add the sugar and pectin and boil for 1 minute
  • 40g of whole milk
  • 80g of unsalted butter
  • 40g of liquid glucose
  • 50g of caster sugar
  • 2g of pectin, ideally yellow pectin
2
Remove from the heat, stir in the sesame seeds and flour, then leave to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 170°C/gas mark 3
3
Once cooled, spread and roll the mixture out on a silicone mat or sheet of baking paper so the seeds are all in a single layer. Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown, then cut into the desired shapes whilst still warm. Leave to cool, then store in an airtight container until needed
4
For the crème brûlées, preheat an oven to 90°C. Pour the milk and cream into a large saucepan and place over a low-medium heat to come to the boil
  • 300g of whole milk
  • 150g of single cream
5
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and tahini in a bowl until fully incorporated and smooth
  • 80g of egg yolk, (approx. 4 large egg yolks)
  • 75g of caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 60g of tahini, the best quality you can find
6
Pour a little of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly to temper them, then gradually add the rest of the hot milk (whilst constantly whisking) until combined
7
Pour the mixture into ramekins or bowls, aiming for roughly 80g per portion. Wrap the ramekins tightly in cling film to cover, then place in a large deep baking dish. Pour a few centimetres of boiling water into the baking dish, then transfer the dish of ramekins into the oven and cook for 30 minutes
8
After 30 minutes, check whether the custard has set – it should be firm but with a slight wobble. If it’s still too runny, then return to the oven for another 15 minutes (or up to 30 minutes). Once cooked, leave the brûlées to cool slightly
9
To serve, carefully unwrap the ramekins from the cling film. Sprinkle a thick layer of sugar on top of each dish and use a blowtorch to caramelise (or you could put them under a very hot grill). Finish with a few drops of toasted sesame oil and serve with the tuile alongside
  • toasted sesame oil, to finish
First published in 2020
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A traditionally trained Japanese chef, Masaki's creative flair meant moving away from the strict culinary rules of his home country to create a fusion-led approach to modern Japanese food in London.

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