Crème Caramel

Steps

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 150°C and put a kettle of water on to boil.
2. 2
   Melt 150 g sugar in a dry heavy pan over medium heat, swirling rather than stirring, until it turns an even deep amber, about 6–8 minutes.
3. 3
   Pour the caramel straight away into 8 ramekins of about 150 ml each and tilt to coat the bottoms; it sets hard within a minute.
4. 4
   Warm the milk to about 70°C, until steaming, without letting it boil.
5. 5
   Whisk the eggs with the remaining sugar and the vanilla only until combined — beating in air leaves bubbles in the custard.
6. 6
   Pour the warm milk into the eggs in a thin stream while stirring, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve and skim off any foam.
7. 7
   Divide among the ramekins, set them in a deep roasting tin and pour in boiling water to come halfway up their sides.
8. 8
   Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre wobbles like jelly when nudged; a hotter oven makes the custard pock-marked, so keep it low.
9. 9
   Cool, then chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, so the caramel dissolves into a sauce.
10. 10
    Run a thin knife around each custard, invert onto a plate and lift off the ramekin, letting the caramel pour over.