I am going to tell you about the first time that I ever tasted a corn creme brulee. It was my wife’s 28th birthday and we went to a steakhouse in New York called Quality Meats (they have one in South Florida as well) and while I was grazing the menu, my eyes landed on what sounded like the most magnificent side in the world.
When they brought it to the table, it was finished with sea salt and when you put the spoon through it, the sugar would crack and it was just the most amazing thing I had ever witnessed.. A moment later, when I took a bite, it was most certainly the best thing I had ever tasted. It was crunchy, salty, sweet, and creamy. Every texture you want in a dish. So, after trying that, I had to recreate it and now I am sharing it with all of you.
What type of corn should I use?
In this corn creme brulee recipe, you have all the components of a regular creme brulee but you are adding cooked corn and butter. I personally love to use frozen corn that is thawed or fresh corn off the cob. I would avoid using canned corn due to the increased water content. It may change the texture and cooking time of the creme brulee.
What are the steps to make a corn creme brulee?
- Making the filling: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add your thawed corn to the butter and cook for about five minutes until the corn absorbs the butter and the corn develops small brown specks. Remove half of the corn from the pan and set aside. Then,, add the heavy cream and salt to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately turn off the heat.
- Puree the mixture: After the mixture has come to a boil,take it off the heat and use a blender or an emulsifier to puree the mixture.
- Adding the sugar and the eggs: In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Gradually add the puree mixture through a strainer into the egg yolks and sugar. Be careful not to add it too fast because you want to avoid cooking the eggs. Once fully combined add the remaining corn kernels that you set aside and stir.
- Baking yoru corn creme brulee: Add the finished mixture into 6 oven safe ramekins and place them in a hot water bath. Bake the corn creme brulees at 325F for 35-40 minutes. The creme brulees should shake slightly when the pan is shaken. It should not be firm. Remove from the water bath, and cover with cling wrap. Store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. The longer the better.
- Caramelizing the sugar: Preheat a broiler to high or use your kitchen torch for this step. Add about 1-2 tablespoons to the top of each creme brulee. Heat the sugar until it’s melted and well browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of butter salted
- 3 cups of frozen corn thawed
- 3 cups of heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup of sugar plus a little more for the top
- 7 cups of water for the hot water bath
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 325F.
- While you are making the filling, bring 7 cups of water to a boil for the hot water bath that you are going to bake the corn creme brulees in.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add your thawed corn to the butter and cook for about five minutes, until the corn absorbs the butter and the corn develops small brown specks.
- Remove half of the corn from the pan and set aside. Then, add the heavy cream and salt to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately turn off the heat.
- After the mixture has come to a boil and you take it off the heat, use a blender or an emulsifier to puree the mixture.
- In a large bowl combine the egg yolks and sugar. Gradually add the puree mixture through a strainer into the egg yolks and sugar. Be careful not to add it too fast because you want to avoid cooking the eggs. Once fully combined add the remaining corn kernels that you set aside and stir.
- Add the finished mixture into 6 oven safe ramekins evenly and place the ramekins in a baking dish. Fill the baking dish with boiling water so that the water is halfway up the ramekins.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the corn creme brulees at 325F for 35-40 minutes. The creme brulees should shake slightly when the pan is shaken. It should not be firm.
- Once done, remove from the water bath and cover with cling wrap. Store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. The longer the better.
- Prior to eating the corn creme brulee, sprinkle sugar on top (about a tablespoon) and using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar so that it becomes caramelized. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, place them in the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until the sugar is caramelized and brown. Serve and enjoy!
Taste and texture are superb. Definitely a repeat.
Woo! I’m so glad you liked it! It’s one of my favorites!
When you say the longer the better in the frig, could that mean over night? If I made it the night before ?
Yes! I typically make them the night before and allow them to cool in the fridge overnight
Can they be served warm, or is this a chilled recipe?
Hi Tim! Warm or chilled. I like them warm as an appetizer. So I put sugar on them and then caramelize it by broiling it in the oven
Can this be made in a baking pan instead of the ramekins?
I wouldn’t see why not! It’s worth giving it a try. You may just have to cook it a little longer since it’s a wider dish circumference