Ingredients

• 250ml/9fl oz whole milk
• pinch saffron
• 10 free-range egg yolks
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 750ml/1â…“ pint double cream
• 50g/1¾oz demerara sugar
• 4 pears
• peeled
• halved
• cores removed
• 1 lemon
• peel and juice
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• split in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 4 sprigs lemon verbena
• to serve

Directions

• For the crème brûlée
• preheat the oven to 120C/250F/Gas ½.
• Bring the milk and saffron to the boil in a pan. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool and infuse.
• In a bowl
• whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale
• fluffy and well combined.
• Add the cooled milk and the cream to the eggs and sugar mixture
• whisking continuously until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
• Strain the mixture through a sieve
• then divide it equally among four ramekins. Place the ramekins onto a baking tray.
• Transfer to the oven and cook for 1½-2 hours
• or until the crème brûlée mixture has set but still has a slight wobble.
• Meanwhile
• for the poached pears
• place the pears
• lemon peel
• lemon juice
• 150g/5½oz of the caster sugar
• the vanilla pod and vanilla seeds into a pan. Add enough water to just cover the pears.
• Bring the mixture to the boil
• then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the pear is tender (5-15 minutes
• depending on the ripeness of the pear). Remove the pears from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper until cool. Slice into strips.
• Dust the pears with icing sugar. To finish them you can use a chef’s blowtorch to char them a little.
• To serve
• dust the crème brûlées with Demerara sugar and use a chef’s blowtorch to char them a little. Garnish with the poached pears and lemon verbena.