Japanese Purin with Caramel

Ingredients

• 600 ml Milk
• 3 Eggs
• 120 g Granulated sugar (For the custard)
• 90 g Granulated sugar (For the caramel)
• 1.5 tbsp Water (For preparing the caramel)
• 1.5 tbsp Hot water (Add carefully to the caramel; do not use cold water)
• Water (As needed for the bain-marie, up to halfway up the sides of the cups)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the caramel sugar and 1 1/2 tbsp of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil until the caramel turns golden brown. Do not stir, as it may crystallize; gently swirl the saucepan to distribute it.

2. 2

   Turn off the heat. Very carefully add 1 1/2 tbsp of hot water and swirl the saucepan to incorporate it into the caramel. The water must be hot, as cold water can cause violent splattering.

3. 3

   Divide the caramel evenly among four heatproof cups and set them aside.

4. 4

   Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them gently. Add the 120 g of granulated sugar and mix until incorporated.

5. 5

   Heat the milk to between 50 and 60 °C.

6. 6

   Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg mixture in 3 or 4 batches, stirring well after each addition.

7. 7

   Strain the custard mixture and pour it evenly into the cups prepared with caramel.

8. 8

   Line the bottom of a pot with a clean kitchen towel and place the cups inside. Add water until it reaches approximately halfway up the sides of the cups.

9. 9

   Cover the pot and bring the water to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once it begins to simmer gently, reduce the heat to low and steam the purin for 30 minutes.

10. 10

    Remove the pot from the heat. Let the cups cool to room temperature, then refrigerate them overnight.

11. 11

    To unmold, immerse the base of each cup in warm water at 50–60 °C for 30–60 seconds to loosen the caramel.

12. 12

    Gently run a toothpick around the entire inner edge of the cup to loosen the custard from the sides.

13. 13

    Place a plate over each cup, hold it firmly against the cup, invert the pair, and unmold. As a tip, before turning it over, you can give it a quick spin, like a pirouette, so that centrifugal force helps loosen the sides and the pudding falls out cleanly.

Notes

The water for the bain-marie is added until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cups, but the exact quantity is not specified. Handle the hot water with particular care when adding it to the caramel. The specified chilling time is overnight.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• Japanese cuisine
• East Asian
• steamed
• bain-marie
• egg
• vegetarian
• make-ahead