Recipe: Roquefort crème brûlée

Are you looking for a Christmas dish that people will be talking about for a long time to come? We’ve got just the thing for you! This unexpected marriage of sweet and salty is not only a perfect dessert, but also a surprising amuse-bouche. 

• Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
• Whisk the sugar and egg yolks together in a mixing bowl until the mixture is thick and lighter in color.
• Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over low heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat.
• Add the Roquefort to the warm milk and cream mixture and stir until the cheese has completely melted. Add the Sauternes and mix well.
• Mix a little of the warm mixture with the beaten egg yolks to temper them. Slowly add the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the milk and cream mixture while stirring constantly. Add a pinch of salt if desired.

• Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps, then divide it among the ramekins (ceramic dishes).
• Place the ramekins in a deep baking dish and fill the dish with hot water so that the ramekins are half-submerged.
• Bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes, or until the custard has just set but is still slightly wobbly in the center.
• Remove the ramekins from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate them for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

For the caramelized topping

• Preheat the oven to the broil setting.
• Mix the white and brown sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the cooled custards.
• Place the ramekins under the broiler until the sugar melts and caramelizes, about 2–3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so the sugar does not burn. (Tip: for more controlled caramelization, you can use a kitchen torch instead of the broiler.)
• Remove from the oven and allow the caramel layer to harden for a few minutes before serving.