Please wait, the site is loading...
Serves: 4
Prep time: 45 mins
Total time:
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Recipe by Chris Galvin
The spiced crèmes brûlées and mulled wine pears can (and should) be made ahead, making for relaxed entertaining
Serves: 4
Prep time: 45 mins
Total time:
Rate this recipe
See more recipes
Desserts Vegetarian Gluten-free French
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
829Kcal
Fat
35gr
Saturates
19gr
Carbs
84gr
Sugars
84gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
6gr
Salt
0.1gr
Chris Galvin
Chef-patron of five family-run, fine-dining restaurants in the capital and with a multitude of awards to his name, Chris Galvin's food reflects his classical French training.
See more of Chris Galvin’s recipes
Chris Galvin
Chef-patron of five family-run, fine-dining restaurants in the capital and with a multitude of awards to his name, Chris Galvin's food reflects his classical French training.
See more of Chris Galvin’s recipes
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
For the crèmes brûlées
- 200ml double cream
- 100ml whole milk
- ½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice (or a pinch of ground cloves)
- 6 medium egg yolks
- 90g caster sugar, plus 40g extra to brûlée
For the poached pears
- 1 x 75cl bottle Beaujolais Villages*
- 125g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 whole clove
- 2 allspice berries (or a pinch of ground)
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 strip of pared orange zest
- 4 small pears, peeled but stalk still attached
- a few drops of lemon juice
Step by step
- Preheat the oven to 120°C, fan 100°C, gas mark 1⁄2. Combine the cream, milk, vanilla seeds and the ground spices in a small pan and gently heat together until steaming, then remove from the heat. Whisk the egg yolks and 90g of the sugar together in a large bowl until combined. Gradually whisk the cream mixture into the egg mixture until thoroughly combined then strain and divide between four ramekins. Transfer to a deep baking tray and add boiled water to come about three-quarters of the way up the outsides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer the tray to the oven and bake for 40 minutes – they should be set on top with a slight wobble. If not, bake for another 5 minutes. Leave to cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill completely for at least 4 hours.
- For the pears, turn the oven up to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. Heat the wine and all the other ingredients, apart from the pears and lemon juice, in a deep, heavy, ovenproof pan. Once the sugar has dissolved, slice a small piece of pear from the base – this helps them stand up – and add to the pan, making sure they are mostly submerged, and bring back to a simmer. Cover with a circle of baking paper to keep them under the liquid, then place in the oven for 40 minutes. Check for tenderness by inserting a co*cktail stick in the thickest part. If it’s still a little resistant, return to the oven for another 5-10 minute or until cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let the pears cool completely in the liquid. Remove the pears when cool and place the liquid back on the hob. Gently boil for 5 minutes or until you get a light syrup. Remove the whole flavourings before adding the lemon juice. Set aside, along with the pears.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle each chilled brûlée evenly with 10g caster sugar and spritz lightly with water. Use a blowtorch (or a very hot grill) to gently heat the sugar and create the classic burnt sugar layer. Add the pears to serving plates, spooning over some of the syrup, with a gingerbread brûlée on the side. *Check your wine is vegetarian, if required.
Waste not
You can poach up to eight pears in the given amount of liquid; they will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you have mulled wine syrup left over, drizzle it over ice cream or use as a co*cktail base.