the secret of creme brulee

I was starting to look like a creme brulee amid the taunting of my collegues. So you call yourself a cook and you can't even make a brulee? And all those recipes that tell you that it's so simple well pffffff! In the process of this exercise I may have invented a new dish, a self saucing flourless sponge which was strangely addictive but clearly not right. My repertoire now includes onion, orange zest and cardamom, vanilla, vanilla, vanilla until finally a recipe from Lorraine Pascale that worked. It set. The secret (for me) was to whisk the eggs and sugar by hand until just starting to turn pale, several times I overwhisked, and also to take the cream off the heat just before it boils.

Ginger and Marscapone Creme Brulee
Ingredients:
450mls double cream
100g marscapone
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10cm root ginger peeled and finely grated
6 free range egg yolks
60g caster sugar
Method:
Preheat oven to 150C. Put six small ramekins into a roasting tin and pour boiling water until half way up on the ramekins.
Put cream, marscapone and vanilla into a saucepan and heat until almost boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in the ginger.
Whisk egg yolks and sugar until just starting to turn pale.
Gradually add ginger cream whisking all the time until fully incorporated.Remove any bubbles lurking on the surface.
Divide between the ramekins then place in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until just starting to set.  Should be wobbly in the middle.
Remove from oven, allow to cool and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably a few or overnight.
Before serving sprinkle each ramekin with one tablespoon of caster sugar evenly over entire surface. Place under grill until sugar starts to turn a deep amber or alternatively use a blow torch.
Wait a few minutes for allowing devourment!

Becoming Human

Once a man came to me and spoke for hours about

"His great visions of God" he felt he was having.

He asked me for confirmation, saying,

"Are these wondrous dreams true?"

I replied, "How many goats do you have?"

He looked surprised and said,

"I am speaking of sublime visions

And you ask

About goats!"

And I spoke again saying,

"Yes, brother - how many do you have?"

"Well, Hafiz, I have sixty-two."

"And how many wives?"

Again he looked surprised, then said,

"Four."

"How many rose bushes in your garden,

How many children,

Are your parents still alive,

Do you feed the birds in winter?"

And to all he answered.

Then I said,

"You asked me if I thought your visions were true,

I would say that they were if they make you become

More human,

More kind to every creature and plant

That you know."

HAFIZ