Orange Brulee Recipe
- 3 large Seville or tart oranges
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup grenadine syrup
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
- Prepare the zest: Using a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the orange in long wide strips, avoiding as much of the white pith as possible. Store the peeled oranges in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Cut the zest into fine, needle-thin julienne.
- In a medium-heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and grenadine and ½ cup cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Stir in the orange julienne and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Transfer the zest and syrup to a bowl and cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the oranges: With a sharp knife, carefully cut away the pith and membranes from the oranges’ exteriors. Using a paring knife, carefully cut out the sections from the inner membranes. Arrange the sections on a shallow plate, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the custard: In a small saucepan, heat the cream just until it begins to steam. Remove from the heat. In a medium heatproof bowl (stainless steel works well), whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and lemon colored. Fit the bowl on top of a medium saucepan of simmering water. Whisk vigorously, gradually adding the Grand Marnier. As the mixture begins to thicken, slowly whisk in the hot cream. When it is thick enough to coat the whisk, about 2 minutes, remove the mixture from the heat and pour into another bowl.
- Divide the orange sections among four (about 1 cup) shallow heatproof bowls or ceramic crème brulée dishes. Pour the custard around the orange sections, not on top. One by one, place each plate under a hot broiler for 15 seconds, or long enough for the custard to glaze.
- Remove some of the grenadine zest from the syrup and sprinkle on top of each serving.
