Lemon Curd Crème Brûlée

To Make Lemon Curd

Place the lemon zest, juice, sugar and 60 g of the butter into a saucepan and heat gently over low heat until the sugar and butter have melted.

Place the egg yolks in a clean glass bowl and slowly pour in the lemon mixture, whisking continuously to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Place the glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook gently, while continuing to stir, for 12–15 minutes or until the lemon curd is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the remaining butter. Spoon a little (about a tablespoon) of the lemon curd into four individual ramekins. Set aside to cool.

To Make the Crème Brûlée

Preheat the oven to 130 °C.

In a large saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer but do not boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks, vanilla and castor sugar together until creamy and pale in colour.

Pour the hot cream mixture over the egg mixture, whisking continuously to prevent curdling. Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir over low heat for 5–10 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon.

Pour the mixture into the ramekins and place in a bain-marie (water bath). Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the custard has just set. (It should still wobble when shaken.) Remove from the oven and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until completely cooled and set.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of each crème brûlée with a thin layer of castor sugar and caramelise using a blowtorch. Serve immediately.