Valentine’s Day: Lavender Crème Brûlée Recipe

As a chef, food and wine are delicious creative expressions and passages to culture year-round. On Valentine’s Day, you might take a cue from your travels and be inspired by romantic destinations – and culinary specialties – from around the world: enjoying colorful macarons while strolling in Paris; pairing a smooth malbec with delectable asado in Buenos Aires; sharing fresh poisson cru in
Bora Bora as you enjoy the impossibly blue waters; sipping a glass of chilled assyrtiko during sunset in Santorini; or sitting down to handmade ravioli at a family-owned café in Tuscany. Of course, one of my personal favorites brings us to aromatic fields of lavender that seem to nearly glow in the sunlight – idyllic Provence – and serves as the inspiration of this divine Lavender Crème Brûlée recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

LAVENDER CRÈME BRÛLÉE RECIPE
SERVES 8

LAVENDER SUGAR
1 cup organic sugar
1 tablespoon dried lavender buds for culinary use

CRÈME BRÛLÉE
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon dried lavender buds for culinary use
10 organic large egg yolks, room temperature
1 cup lavender sugar
¼ cup superfine sugar

FOR THE LAVENDER SUGAR
Mix the sugar and lavender in a glass jar. Cover and let sit for at least 2 days and up to 1 week. Remove the lavender. Store the lavender sugar until needed.

FOR THE CRÈME BRÛLÉE
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and lavender and bring to a simmer. Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to steep for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Strain the cream mixture into a medium bowl to remove the lavender. Discard the lavender and reserve the cream.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and lavender sugar. Gradually whisk in the warm cream. Divide the mixture into 8 (¾-cup) ceramic ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan. Add enough warm water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake about 45 minutes, or until the custard is set in the center.

Remove the ramekins from the water. Let cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until completely cool and then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Sprinkle each of the custards with about ½ tablespoon of superfine sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it turns an amber color. Return the custards to the refrigerator. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until the sugar cools and hardens. Serve chilled.

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