5 more things you can do with that crème brûlée torch
Once a year at Christmas, you make crème brûlée. Because, well, nothing is quite as spectacular as preparing food at the table with fire. For the rest of the year, however, your torch does nothing but gather dust. What a waste—you can do so much more with it.
That torch is probably sitting in a box or drawer right now, together with a melon baller, egg whisk and palette knife. Get it out quickly, because from now on you’re going to brûlée everything. Don’t have a torch yet? If you really want to do it properly, I recommend a professional model. You can get one for as little as €25, while a hobby model costs €10 to €15. They’re much more powerful, and brûléeing suddenly becomes a breeze.
Meringue
Perhaps even more spectacular than crème brûlée: torching meringue at the table. Use Italian or Swiss meringue for this. You cook it au bain-marie or with hot sugar syrup, which makes it safe to eat. Torch brûléeing doesn’t cook the inside, after all; you only caramelize the outside.
Even more sugar
Custard isn’t the only thing that benefits from a crisp sugar layer on top. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over your cake, cookies or doughnuts. For all I care, put it over your oatmeal or rice pudding. One, two, three—and let the flames begin!
Meat and fish
Sugar isn’t the only thing you can torch; meat and fish are also perfect for brûléeing. I once ate a marinated mackerel fillet in Japan that was torched at the table. The fillet had been scored on the skin, creating a beautiful curling effect. You can easily recreate that at home.
Sushi is also sometimes given a quick blast with a torch. Making nigiri with raw salmon or scallop? Briefly apply the flame for a charred flavor, while the rest of the fish stays raw and tender. In this recipe, for example, the skin of pork belly is torched extra crispy—delicious!
Gratinating
Nothing beats a layer of melted cheese with a crisp brown topping. You can do that in the oven, or simply bring out your torch. And since that thing is by now a permanent fixture on your countertop, it’ll be done in no time.
Are you always battling that fucking grill setting on your oven too? The corners of your potato gratin are burnt while the center still hasn’t browned. Bloody annoying, but your torch is your savior. With a cheap version, you’ll be at it for a while, which will probably cause even more frustration, but if you’ve invested in a professional model, you know exactly what to do.
Fruit
Figs, oranges, pears: cut them open and brûlée the flesh. Fruit already contains sugar, which caramelizes beautifully. For an extra-crispy layer, sprinkle another layer of sugar over the fruit.
Bonus: Loosening
A tip from Robèrt of Heel Holland Bakt: Have you frozen or chilled something in a mold and want to get it out again? A cake or mousse that needs to set, for example, but that you want to keep intact? Briefly run the torch over the outside of the mold, and your creation will come out easily thanks to the warmth.
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