Bill Granger's pink grapefruit crème caramels with grapefruit & raspberry granita
Prep 25 mins (plus freezing, chilling)
Cook 5 mins
Serves 8
Difficulty 3
“Crème caramel, or ‘flan’, has been loved in France and Spain for centuries, but had its big restaurant heyday in the eighties,” says Bill Granger. “It is my absolute favourite comfort food dessert. I’ve added the bittersweet tang of grapefruit juice and a rose-pink raspberry granita that reminds me of cherry blossom. Stir a tablespoon of gin into the granita, for bite.”
160g fresh raspberries
50g crushed freeze-dried raspberries
GRAPEFRUIT & RASPBERRY GRANITA
150g flesh from 2 large pink grapefruit, cut into segments, membrane removed
50ml pink grapefruit juice
40g caster sugar
10g freeze-dried raspberries
PINK GRAPEFRUIT CREME CARAMELS
100g caster sugar
1 tbsp pink grapefruit juice
270ml condensed milk
100ml double cream
400ml milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp finely grated pink grapefruit zest
1 generous pinch sea salt flakes
1. To make the granita, put the grapefruit flesh, juice, sugar, freeze-dried raspberries and 50ml water in a blender and mix until smooth. Pour into a shallow non-reactive container and freeze for about 1 hour, until starting to harden around the edges, then scrape into granules with a fork every 30 minutes for 4 hours. Transfer to an airtight container and keep frozen for up to 5 days.
2. For the crème caramels, preheat the oven to 160˚C and grease eight 125ml ramekins.
Mix the sugar with 20ml water in a heavy-based saucepan. Place over low heat until the sugar dissolves and turns golden brown. Carefully (it will spit) add the grapefruit juice and swirl the pan to mix. Pour into the ramekins and place the ramekins in a large deep roasting tin. Whisk together the condensed milk, cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, grapefruit zest and salt and pour into the ramekins. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting tin to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crème caramels are set, but with a wobble. Remove the ramekins and leave to cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
3. To serve, dip the bases of the ramekins into hot water (if you have refrigerated overnight, you might not need to do this). Dry the bases (to avoid drips), then turn out onto plates, running a knife around the edge to loosen if necessary. Serve the crème caramels with the granita and fresh and freeze-dried raspberries.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
This recipe has been extracted with permission from Australian Food by Bill Granger, photography by Mikkel Vang. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.