Step 1

Place the egg yolks in a large bowl or jug. Add the sugar (make sure to add the right amount depending on the baking dishes), vanilla extract, pinch of salt and bourbon (if using) and whisk together to form a paste.

Step 2

Add the cream and whisk to combine. Stir until the sugar has dissolved competely.

Step 3

OPTIONAL - Place the custard mixture in a saucepan, and heat over medium heat while whisking constantly, until the mixture is warm and starts to steam. The sugar should completely dissolve as well. (SEE RECIPE NOTES).

Step 4

The custard mixture may have some bubbles on the surface. Cover and let it rest to allow the bubbles to subside. You can also stir gently to remove some of the bubbles too.

Step 5

Portion the custard into 6 half pint jars and close them with the lids. Then loosen the lids slightly to make sure the jars aren't closed too tightly and there is no excess pressure build up (please read the post, where I explain how to do this).

Step 6

Fill your sous vide container with hot water from the tap. Attach your sous vide circulator and set the temperature to 179°F/ 82°C. Start the sous vide.

Step 7

Gently lower the jars into the water. This allow the jars to come up to the set temperature, along with the water.

Step 8

When the circulator reaches the set temperature, start timing the cook time for 1 hour.

Step 9

After 1 hour, remove the jars from the water container, and tighten the lids using a cloth napkin (so you can grip the jar and lid that will be very hot at this stage).

Step 10

Let the custards cool completely to room temperature.

Step 11

Transfer the jars into the fridge and let them chill over night.

Step 12

You may have to gently pry the lids off the jars with a spoon to break the seal, when you're ready to serve them.

Step 13

Before serving, caramelize the sugar on the surface of the creme brulee. There are two ways to do this (explained below).

Step 14

Sprinkle a little sugar evenly over the surface of the custard. Make sure the sugar layer is not too thick so it can caramelize quickly, but also completely covers the surface to prevent the custard from burning underneath.

Step 15

Use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar on the surface. The sugar should first melt, and start to bubble and turn from a light golden to an amber color. Make sure to caramelize all the sugar without staying in one place for too long. Too much heat will make the custard curdle.

Step 16

Let the caramelized sugar cool down (just a minute or two), and the sugar should be hard to the touch. Serve immediately.

Step 17

In a non-stick pan, add about 2 tsp of white sugar per portion of creme brulee you will be serving (you can use 3 tsp per portion if you want to make extra).

Step 18

Shake the pan to evenly distribute the sugar in one layer on the bottom of the pan.

Step 19

Heat the pan on medium heat and shake it occasionally to caramelize the sugar evenly. The sugar will first melt, and then start turning yellow and rapidly caramelize to an amber color. As the sugar starts to darken to a golden color, turn off the heat. The caramel will continue to cook and turn dark golden/amber in color.

Step 20

As soon as the caramel turns dark golden in color, remove the pan from the heat and GENTLY pour about 1 - 2 tsp of caramel over the custard, and return the pan to the stove that’s still warm (but switched off). You will need to eye ball the amount of caramel here, since you don’t want to use measuring spoons to measure it out.

Step 21

Quickly swirl the creme brulee dish to distribute the caramel evenly on the surface. Repeat with the rest of the dishes. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar to add depending on how you go with the first one. This part needs to be done quickly, while the caramel is still fluid. The caramel hardens up quickly.

Step 22

When all the creme brulee dishes have been coated with caramel, and the caramel is hard to the touch, serve immediately.