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Steven Raichlen Crème Brûlée Salamander

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Steven Raichlen Crème Brûlée Set
There are two important components to a creme brulee: the custard and the caramelized sugar crust. You could argue that the crust is even more important than the custard, as that is what sets it apart from other custard desserts. There are a couple of ways to make the crust. The most common in home kitchens is to use a small kitchen torch, which will enable you to caramelize the sugar without heating the custard too much. Sticking the ramekins under the broiler will do the same thing, but does put you at risk of putting too much heat onto the already cooled custards if you don’t watch them closely.

One other tool you can use is Steven Raichlen’s Crème Brûlée Salamander. This is a cast iron plate (with a handle) that you heat on the grill, grab with a pair of tongs and press onto the sugared surface of your creme brulee. It looks almost like you’re branding it, as a burst of smoke rises up from the dessert, but in less than 5 seconds you’re left with a perfectly caramelized creme brulee.

Now, I don’t typically think of creme brulee as a barbecue dessert, but it actually goes quite well with a backyard cookout. The custards can be prepared well in advance and can be garnished with all kinds of fresh fruit. With one of these little gadgets, you can even prep them right outside in front of your guests and not have to spend any more time in the kitchen while you’re entertaining.

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3 Comments
  • ValerieF
    July 6, 2010

    oooh, cool gadget! I love single use kitchen gadgets (even though realistically I TRY to stay away from those and find things I can use for multiple things. So the big question is, what else do I trick myself into thinking this is useful for??? That way I can warrant the expense/room spent to myself – and my beloved!)

  • Natalia Rivera
    July 6, 2010

    I don’t think this unitaker is worth it, unless you need something for flattening cookie dough blobs? See this review: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/cooking-tools-creme-brulee-for-the-barbecue/

  • Susie
    July 9, 2010

    I remember the first time I made creme brulee at home and how freaking excited my husband was to use the blowtorch – he kept asking me when we could caramelize the tops while they cooled in the fridge. These are cute and potentially handy but I couldn’t take that fun away from him 🙂

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