I’ll have to be honest and say that I wasn’t too excited about this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe: Cheesy crème brûlées (p 148). Not that I don’t like cheese but it just sounded odd. A cheesy custard with a cheesy crust on top? Maybe a little too cheesy… But no matter, trying new things is something we are all over at this house and all my friends know that sometimes they will come over for “blog food” that may or may not work and/ or go together! A couple of weekends ago, the lovely Edie came over for brunch and I figured that small ramekins of cheesy brûlée might be perfect for brunch. Basically a savoury custard poured over tiny cubes of cheese, baked at a low temperature for a long-ish period (considering how small they are) and served at room temperature. Easy peasy to make. Even easier to enjoy, so it turns out!
I made them the night before and let them come to room temperature before Mr Neil was allowed to brûlée them with our small blow torch. I didn’t put so much cheese on top because I didn’t want it to be over the top and it was just enough to form a smooth crusty shell on top the savoury, luscious custard. It really was like silk in your mouth – so smooth and so decadently rich. Luckily the ramekins are small and luckily I only made 3 because they were seriously so good that we would have eaten any more that were hanging around! It tasted like a custard version of grilled cheese.
I served this with a fresh fruit salad and a simple tomato/ lettuce salad to cut through the rich silkiness of the cheese.
French Fridays with Dorie participants do not publish the recipes on our blogs; we prefer if you purchase Around My French Table for yourselves (though you can find this week’s recipe online here) which you can do here on Amazon or Amazon Canada. Or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Go on, treat yourself then join us here!
Toronto folks: Did you enter my $150 Lee Restaurant giveaway yet?
Mine didn’t solidify quite enough…so, even though the flavor was wonderful and the texture silky, they got panned 🙁 Glad you and Mr. Neil enjoyed!
Aw that’s too bad because the taste was fabulous!
Glad to hear you liked them – I wasn’t sure 😉 These really were a pleasant surprise, weren’t they?
Indeed!
They look so delicious. I am planning on serving them with dinner tonight, I am glad that they were tasty.
Oh yum! I definitely have to try this one.
You’d enjoy!
What a treat this was! Have a great weekend.
Yeah, I felt the same way about this dish…a little too rich. Not sure I’ll make it again. It is so filling for a starter. I think pairing it with fruit salad is probably the best balance and having it for brunch good call.
If you make tiny tiny ones it’s perfect for a starter!
Oh, man, these were tailor-made for me! I can’t find anything bad to say about them, except that I wish they were healthier! 😉 Yours look delicious, Mardi!
Yeah, sadly, not so healthy!
Your brûléed top turned out wonderful! I was a little concerned that a torch would just burn the cheese, but it appears that instinct was wrong. Great photos too!
Yeah I was worried but it was fine!
I would have questioned this too, but it looks fabulous! I pinned it.
Sam
It was a pleasant shock how great it was!
Love that description: “custard version of grilled cheese”. Sounds delicious!
I am glad we agree!
I adore the golden hue of your brulee – so sunny.
Thanks!
This was a delicious recipe. I love your description a custard version of grilled cheese. This so describes this recipe.
It certainly made me think of one!
These were so good! Yep, like a custardy grilled cheese:)
Glad you agree!
I was uninspired going into this one, but I really enjoyed the end result. How perfect for brunch! Your description as custard version of grilled cheese certainly nails the concept.
It was nice to be surprised with something that was beyond my expectations!
Mr. Neil did a beautiful job with the blowtorch! They look so pretty. I really enjoyed these.
He did indeed!
I’ll have to try them someday. They look delish. Thank goodness I have the book! 😉
They are really tasty!
Where you were surprised by the cheesy combination, I thought to myself… YES! All that cheese! 🙂 And then when I read “a custard version of grilled cheese” I was even more convinced. This looks AWESOME.
It was a nice surprise for sure!
It looks delish! I messed up and made the lemon steamed spinach, so I will be making these at the end of the month. Love the ramekins and your sides.
Drooling here!