Creme caramel with pistachio praline
“The season is short for fresh pistachios and competition is keen.”
- 165g caster sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 55g caster sugar, extra
- 1 tbsp orange flower water
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups pouring cream
- 2 cups milk
Pistachio praline
- 165g caster sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 50g shelled pistachios
- Sliced strawberries, to serve
Fresh pistachios pack a punch, adding flavour and texture to sweet and savoury dishes alike. Some say the fresh nut, with its slightly translucent flesh and mild milky taste, more closely resembles a fruit.
Method
Preheat oven to 160C. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over low heat to dissolve sugar. Increase heat and boil, without stirring, until mixture is a caramel colour. Pour into six 175mL ramekins.
Whisk eggs, yolks, extra sugar, orange flower water and salt. In a saucepan, bring cream and milk just to the boil, whisk into egg mixture, then pour evenly into ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish with hot water halfway up the sides. Bake for 30 minutes or until custard is just set. Remove ramekins, cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
For pistachio praline
Lightly toast nuts in a hot oven. Prepare caramel as above, remove from heat and, when bubbles subside, carefully stir in nuts. Pour onto a greased baking tray, cool, break into pieces and grind finely in a food processor.
To serve
Carefully run a knife around edge of ramekins, turn out onto serving plates and serve with sliced strawberries. Sprinkle with pistachio praline.
Serves 6.
