Pistachio CrÈme BrÛlÉe Recipes

PISTACHIO CREME BRULEE WITH BLACKBERRIES AND POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Whisk together the cream and pistachio paste in a large saucepot, and then scrape and add the vanilla bean and the pistachios. Steep over medium-low heat 20 minutes, and then remove from the heat.
• Whisk together 1 cup of the sugar and the egg yolks in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the warm cream to the yolks and whisk quickly to temper the egg mixture. Add in the remaining cream, a little at a time, whisking constantly. When all of the cream has been incorporated, strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
• Place 4 creme brulee ramekins into a 2-inch-deep baking pan. Evenly divide the custard between the ramekins, filling to the top. Carefully add the boiling water into the pan until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Carefully (so no water gets in the custard) place the baking pan into the oven and bake until the custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the ramekins from the water bath and refrigerate.
• Combine the blackberries, mint, pomegranate seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl, and let sit 10 minutes.
• When the custards have cooled, sprinkle the tops with sugar and brulee with a torch until the sugar caramelizes. Garnish with the blackberry-pomegranate mixture and serve immediately.

PISTACHIO CRÈME BRÛLÉE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the pistachio paste: In an oven heated to 350 degrees, toast the pistachios until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and cover with a towel, rolling to remove the skins from the hot pistachios. Grind the hot pistachios in a food processor until they are reduced to a paste. This should make about 2 1/2 tablespoons paste. Set aside. 2. Reduce the oven temperature to 325. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. 3. In heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the cream, one-fourth cup sugar and vanilla seeds. Bring the cream just to a simmer, being careful that it does boil. 4. Meanwhile, whisk remaining sugar with the egg yolks. Slowly add the hot cream mixture to the yolks, whisking constantly, to temper. Whisk in the pistachio compound to taste; depending on the intensity of the nuts, you might not use all of the paste (we tested with all of the paste). 5. Strain the base to remove any lumps, then divide it among 6 (4-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and slide the pan onto the center rack of the oven. Add enough boiling water to the pan to come halfway up the ramekins. 6. Loosely cover the pan with foil and bake the custards for 18 minutes. Check the custard by gently shaking the pan; if it jiggles gently (as with barely set gelatin), it is set. Otherwise, continue to bake, checking every 2 to 3 minutes until the custards are set, 5 to 10 minutes or more. 7. When the custards are set, gently remove the baking pan from the oven, uncover the custards and cool them (still in the pan) to room temperature. Remove the cooled custards from the baking pan and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours. 8. Before serving, remove the chilled custards and sprinkle a scant teaspoon of sugar over the surface of each, spreading the sugar with the back of a spoon to evenly cover the top. 9. Use a small torch to caramelize the tops of each of the custards. Alternatively, place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place under broiler.

PISTACHIO CRèME BRûLéE WITH SOUR CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spread pistachios on a baking sheet and toast until nuts are fragrant but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Rub off and discard any loose skins (some will remain on nuts).
• Pulse nuts with granulated sugar in a food processor just until finely chopped. (Do not blend to a paste.)
• Stir together nuts and cream with a pinch of salt in a 1-quart heavy saucepan and cook over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just hot. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 30 minutes.
• Rinse kitchen towel under cold water and wring out as much water as possible. Line a large sieve with towel, then set sieve over a bowl or large glass measure and pour pistachio mixture into towel. Wrap towel up around mixture and, working over sieve, squeeze pistachio cream from towel into bowl. Discard ground pistachios.
• Lightly beat yolks in a medium bowl, then whisk in pistachio cream. Divide mixture among gratin dishes.
• Arrange gratin dishes on a metal rack set in a roasting pan and bake in a hot water bath until custards are just set around edges but centers tremble slightly when dishes are gently shaken, about 20 minutes. Remove gratin dishes from pan and cool, uncovered, then chill, covered, at least 4 hours. (Custards will set completely as they chill.)
• Very gently blot any moisture from surface of chilled custards with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons turbinado sugar evenly over each custard, then move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth just over sugar until sugar is melted and caramelized. Serve with sour cherry sauce.