Recipe - Vanilla-Orange Custard With Caramel

CUSTARD
2 Oranges
2 cup Milk; (do not use lowfat
; or nonfat)
1 cup Half and half
Three fourths cup Plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 Piece vanilla bean; split in
half
; lengthwise (1inch)
4 lg Eggs
3 lg Egg yolks

CARAMEL
1 One fourth cup Sugar
One fourth cup Plus 3 tablespoons water
One half teaspoon Fresh lemon juice
3 cup Assorted mixed fresh berries

For Custard:

Using vegetable peeler, cut peel (orange part only) in wide strips from
oranges. Combine milk, half and half and sugar in saucepan. Scrape seeds
from vanilla bean into milk mixture; add bean. Bring to simmer, stirring
until sugar dissolves. Add peel. Remove from heat. Cover and steep 30
minutes.

Strain mixture into medium bowl; cool to lukewarm. Whisk eggs and yolks in
large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk milk mixture into eggs. Chill until
cold.

For Caramel:

Mix 1 cup sugar, One fourth cup water and juice in heavy medium saucepan. Stir
over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring
until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down
sides with wet pastry brush, about 10 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons water
(mixture will bubble). Stir over low heat until hard bits dissolve.
Immediately pour into 6cup souffle dish; swirl to coat bottom and halfway
up sides. Cool.

Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk custard; pour into caramelcoated dish. Place
in large baking pan. Fill pan with enough hot water to come halfway up
sides of dish. Cover pan completely with foil, sealing at edges. Bake until
center 3 inches of custard moves only slightly when dish is shaken, about 1
hour. Remove from oven; let stand covered 10 minutes. Remove from water;
chill overnight.

Combine berries and One fourth cup sugar in bowl. Let stand 30 minutes.

Run knife around sides of dish to loosen custard. Place platter atop dish.
Invert custard onto platter. Remove dish; allow caramel to spill out onto
platter. Garnish with some berries. Serve, passing berry mixture
separately.

Serves 8.

Bon Appetit June 1995

Converted by MC_Buster.

Per serving: 2147 Calories (kcal); 77g Total Fat; (31% calories from fat);
56g Protein; 317g Carbohydrate; 1542mg Cholesterol; 583mg Sodium Food
Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fruit; 12 One half Fat;
17 Other Carbohydrates

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0n.