6 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 quart heavy cream
6 ounces good quality chocolate finely chopped
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
small amount of sugar for caramelizing
recipes from historic lousiana
Serves 8 to 10
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Bring cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add vanilla seeds and chocolate. Let rest in order for the chocolate to melt. Add cooled cream mixture to sugar and yolk mixture and blend.
Place mixture in ramekins then place ramekins in a bain marie (water bath). Bake for 20 minutes or until set. Remove and chill.
Just before serving, spread a thin layer of sugar evenly over the top of the ramekins. Use a propane torch to quickly caramelize the sugar on top of the cooled custard. You can alternately caramelize the sugar under a broiler (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn too much)
