TURMERIC, HONEY AND GINGER CRÈME
SERVES 6
This crème is a beautifully creamy silky custard with lingering flavours of fresh ginger and turmeric, without either being overpowering. It’s a wonderful high-protein snack just as is, though when served with a compote of raspberries, blueberries or stone fruit it becomes a truly luscious dessert. I make this recipe in my home steam oven, though it can easily be baked in a conventional oven in a water bath.
INGREDIENTS
• 145mL thickened cream
• 85 mL full-cream milk
• 35g skim milk powder
• 40g raw honey
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 20g ginger, peeled & sliced
• 3 free-range egg yolks (small eggs)
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar, to serve (optional)
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to steam 100°C or conventional oven 160°C.
2. Place the cream, milk, milk powder, honey, turmeric and ginger into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes.
3. Gradually add the hot liquid mixture to the egg yolks, whisking as you go. Pour the mixture evenly into six ramekins.
4. For a steam oven, wrap ramekins securely in plastic film. Place on a baking tray and steam for 25–30 minutes or until just setting — you need a little jiggle in the centre for maximum mouthfeel. Keep in mind that the custard will carry on cooking as it cools.
5. For a conventional oven, place the ramekins into a high-sided baking dish. Carefully fill the baking dish with very hot water to two-thirds of the height of the ramekins. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. It should wobble if you gently shake a ramekin.
6. If you want to serve with a crunchy crème brûlée topping, cover the tops of the crèmes evenly with raw sugar and tap off any excess. Blowtorch the sugar for 10 seconds.
Note: The cooking time will be influenced by the thickness of the ramekin. A pottery one could take an extra 15 minutes or so to cook.