Best Creme Caramel Portuguese Recipes

CREME CARAMEL (PORTUGUESE)

Steps:

• Caramel - Place water in a heavy saucepan and add sugar, pouring into the centre of the water so it doesn't tourch the edges.
• Cook over a medium heat for ten minutes - DO NOT STIR - the caramel will slowly colour from blonde to brunette, to a dark, rich colour and then pour into ramekins.
• Custard - Whisk eggs, one at a time into sugar until mixture in slightly frothy.
• Put milk, cinnamon stick, lemon peel and vanilla essence into a saucepan and bring to the boil, remove from heat and stir into egg mixture (do not over mix).
• Pour mixture through a sieve into a jug and then pour into ramekins, being careful when pouring over the caramel that you swirl a little as your pour so the warm mixture does no crack the toffee.
• Place ramekins in an ovenproof dish and fill half way up the sides of the dishes with water and bake at 150C for 30 minutes turning the baking dish around after the first 15 minutes to cook evenly.
• Rest for 30 minutes. run a knife around the edges of the ramekins before turning out onto a dish.

JAMIE OLIVER'S PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS

Steps:

• Begin by preparing pastry shells.
• Lay puff pastries out flat, sprinkle with cinnamon and lightly rub it in to spread out and coat surface evenly.
• Roll up both pastry sheets and cut each into 6 even pieces.
• Stand up each piece on it's end and flatten down with fingers into disc shape, place disc's in standard muffin pan.
• Using fingers, spread each piece into a cup shape using the pan as a mold.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400°F in oven on top shelf.
• While they're baking prepare custard mix.
• In a medium sized bowl mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla, creme fraiche and zest from 1 orange.
• Shells should still be a little soft and slightly puffed out when they come out of the oven - using a spoon, push back the pastry into the mold and into its cup shape so it can hold the custard.
• Fill each shell almost to the top with custard mix.
• Put custard-filled pastry shells back into 400°F oven on top shelf and bake for 8-10 minutes.
• While tarts continue baking prepare caramel topping.
• Heat up a medium sized saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat.
• Add sugar and juice from 2 oranges.
• Use care and caution when making caramel - it is like molten lava. Only use metal utensils while working with caramel as it will ruin wooden spoons and plastic could melt.
• Continuously watching pot and stir occasionally to prevent burning, sugar will melt and bubble as it cooks.
• Caramel is ready once it turns a nice amber color and should be done around the same time the tarts are finished baking.
• Move tarts onto wire rack to cool. Using a spoon, drizzle caramel over top of each tart.

CRèME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Scald the milk with the vanilla in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
• In a separate saucepan, prepare caramel for an 8-cup mold: Combine 3 tablespoons water, the lemon juice, and 1/2 cup sugar and cook over medium-high heat until golden. Watch carefully that it doesn't become too dark and burn, as it may taste bitter.
• Carefully pour the caramel into the mold, tilting the mold to fully coat the bottom and sides. Let sit until the caramel hardens, about 2 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Whisk together the eggs, yolks, the remaining 1 cup sugar, and the salt in a large bowl until the mixture is pale yellow and thick enough to coat a spoon or spatula.
• Pour the scalded milk mixture into the egg mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon to make a custard.
• Using a fine metal kitchen strainer, carefully strain the custard mixture into the caramelized mold.
• Place the mold in a larger pan more than 1 inch deep. Set the larger pan on an oven shelf, and fill with at least 1 inch of water, until it comes halfway up the mold.
• Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the custard is set. (You'll know it's ready when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.) Remove the pan and mold from the oven and set the mold outside the larger pan to cool for 2 hours.
• Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. When ready to serve, run a knife around the edges of the mold. Cover the mold with a deep serving dish and overturn the mold. Allow the caramel to coat the custard. Cut into portions before serving, then serve some of the crème caramel with cream.