French Crème Brûlée

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F and set six 4-oz ramekins in a deep roasting pan.
2. Warm the cream with the vanilla bean and its scraped seeds in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to steam, about 5 minutes. Take it off the heat, cover, and let it infuse 15 minutes, then lift out the pod.
3. Whisk the egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt in a bowl until smooth and slightly pale.
4. Pour the warm cream into the yolks in a slow stream, whisking the whole time so the eggs warm gradually instead of scrambling. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve.
5. Divide the custard among the ramekins, then pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up their sides. The water bath is what keeps the custard silky rather than rubbery.
6. Bake 35-40 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still wobble like loose jelly when you nudge the pan.
7. Lift the ramekins out of the water and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until cold and firm all the way through.
8. Just before serving, blot any condensation from the surface and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar evenly over each custard. Caramelize with a kitchen torch, or under a hot broiler for 1-2 minutes, until deep amber. Let the sugar harden 2 minutes so it cracks under the spoon.