To create this dessert, I used my friend and pastry chef Gilles Bajolles‘ crème brûlée recipe which is so silky and creamy. And I infused some bay leaves in the cream like the chef Florent Ladeyn: I tasted his wonderful Flemish tart at the Omnivore World Tour in 2015: a sort of pastry crust with crème brûlée on top, flavored with bay leaf.

That makes that dessert very elegant and silky-smooth in the mouth. A classic recipe from the French brasseries, with a nice twist in the flavor.

You will need

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 10 bay leaves
• Brown sugar

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour the cream, milk and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil and stop the fire. Put a lid on and let cool completely.

Add the egg yolks and sugar, then mix.

Pour the custard in some ramekins and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 200°F in a convection oven. The custard should be still jiggling a little at the center of the ramekin when you gently move it.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Sprinkle some brown sugar over the custards so they are covered evenly with a thin layer. Tilt a blowtorch over each crème brûlée until the sugar melts and caramelizes the crèmes brûlées.