Chefs' Recipes

Espresso crème brûlée with hazelnut ice-cream

Australian Gourmet Traveller dessert recipe for espresso crème brûlée with hazelnut ice-cream by Harbourkitchen&bar chef Alessandro Pavoni.

By Alessandro Pavoni
  • 15 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 10 mins cooking plus chilling, freezing
  • Serves 4
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"We had a beautiful dinner at Sydney's Harbourkitchen&bar. Could chef Alessandro Pavoni please share the delectable espresso crème brûlée recipe? It was so good."
Thao Le, Carnegie, Vic
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To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, Australian Gourmet Traveller, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant's name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.

Ingredients

  • 375 ml (1½ cups) pouring cream
  • 125 ml (½ cup) milk
  • 150 gm caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
  • 50 ml espresso strength coffee
  • 9 egg yolks
Hazelnut ice-cream
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 100 gm caster sugar
  • 250 ml (1 cup) pouring cream
  • 200 ml milk
  • 30 gm (1 tbsp) chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella

Method

Main
  • 1
    For hazelnut ice-cream, whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Set aside. Combine cream, milk and chocolate-hazelnut spread in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve (3-5 minutes). Bring just to the boil, then gradually pour over egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine. Return to a clean pan and stir over medium heat without boiling until mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon (10-12 minutes). Refrigerate until chilled, then freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Makes about 750ml and will keep in freezer for up to 2 weeks.
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 140C. Combine cream, milk, sugar and espresso in a saucepan and stir over medium heat to dissolve sugar, then bring almost to the boil (5-7 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in a bowl until frothy. Whisking continuously, add half the hot cream mixture, then stir in remaining. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, then divide among four 1 cup-capacity shallow ovenproof dishes. Place dishes in a roasting pan, fill with enough cold water to come almost to the top of the outsides of dishes. Bake until just set (35-45 minutes). Remove dishes from pan, cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until completely chilled (3-3½ hours).
  • 3
    To serve, scatter an even layer of caster sugar over custards then, using a blowtorch, caramelise sugar. Serve immediately with hazelnut ice-cream.
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  • undefined: Alessandro Pavoni