Creme brulee help

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Snookn42

Assistant Cook
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
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3
I am trying to make some creme Brulee for my fiance before she gets back in town tomarrow. I just got it out of the fridge to taste and it pretty much tasted like egg with the same consistancy.

Is this becasue there is too much egg in it? Or the fact that I used whole egg instead of just yolk? or maybe becasue I did not use ramikans, rather just a Pyrex baking dish?

Please help :)
thanks
 
Welcome to DC.

I cannot answer your question yet. Please post your recipe with the production steps and we can help figure out the problem.
 
My first thought was that it was because you used whole eggs rather than just the yolk. Post your recipe we can help you out better.
 
If you followed the baking times in a recipe that called for ramikans and instead used a baking dish, as well as using whole eggs, those are two of your problems. Another thing people often neglect to do is to bake their creme brulee in a water bath.
 
I followed the directions except I didnt realize the egg YOLK part and used whole eggs. I dont see how pouring into a larger dish would effect the consistancy, altough Im not much of a cook and when I was one it was pantry and I only torched the Brulee! I did water bath!

Thanks for the help
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So, are you saying that it isn't "set"?
"I just got it out of the fridge to taste and it pretty much tasted like egg with the same consistancy".
How thick is it? Creme brulee is usually a fairly "thin" serving in an individual dish. Not sure what this would have to do with taste.
I'm not as sure that using whole eggs would make that much difference. It might not taste as concentrated and rich having the whole egg.
I will add that when folks talk about tasting "eggy" in custards, I am not sure what they mean--UNless it is talking about the whites being "scrambled" in it. This isn't what you mean, is it--little bits of grainy egg? The brulee is smooth--right?
 
So 8 eggs instead of 8 yolks?? Well, other than not really making a creme brulee, don't see a problem with the ratio. This is mine:

4 c chilled heavy cream
2/3 c granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
12 lg egg yolks
8 to 12 tsp Turbinado or Demerara sugar

so mine has more cream to yolk. How deep was the baking dish you used, that probably was the problem and was it starting to 'set' when you removed it from the oven? Also, baking in one larger bowl as you did, if you do it again, bake to a temp of 170-175 F.
 
When custards taste eggy, it is because its has been cooked too long. It's the same thing as creme Anglaise, where you have to remove your egg and cream mixture the second the pot hits the right temperature, or you will end up cooking some of the yolks and not only have an egg taste, but also little bits of cooked egg. The bits can be strained, but the taste will remain.
 
Thanks,

The custard did set. The baking dish was around 4inches thick with custard up to 2.5. And yes it was like scrambled egg
I did another batch last night with only egg yolk and it tastes many times better. I still believe it was a little thick, not the nice puddingesque texture like Bonefish grille!

Maybe next time more creme to yolk? I think that may be all that im missing now, Suggestions?

Thanks so much y'all
Robby
 
It probably doesn't make much substantive difference, but at a class at Johnson&Wales when we cooked creme brulee, we just put the ramekins on a very wet towel that was in the bottom of the pan. The chef said it was the steam produced that was the most important part.
 
Gretchen said:
It probably doesn't make much substantive difference, but at a class at Johnson&Wales when we cooked creme brulee, we just put the ramekins on a very wet towel that was in the bottom of the pan. The chef said it was the steam produced that was the most important part.



I've heard of a towel at the bottom of a bain marie to keep the ramekins from sliding around, but never on its own without added water.
 
Andy M. said:
I've heard of a towel at the bottom of a bain marie to keep the ramekins from sliding around, but never on its own without added water.

There was water but not all the way up the side.
 
Gretchen said:
There was water but not all the way up the side.


That makes sense. The water moderates the temperature, providing gentle and gradual heat for the custard.
 
I like the idea of a towel and less water. It would
make it easier to get my bread pudding out of the
water bath. The dish and the water bath pan are
close in length and width. I always have a hard time
getting underneath the bread pudding pan without
soaking the pot holders and hence my hand.
 
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