Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg.
Contributed by Michel Richard.
Michel Richard adds an element of surprise to even the most classic of dishes. His version of crème brûlée pairs a smooth, cool layer of vanilla custard with a topping of silky dark chocolate mousse. The contrast is exceptional.
The dessert can be made the day before and refrigerated, but the caramelizing must be done just prior to serving. When caramelizing the topping, we prefer a propane torch — available in most hardware stores — to the smaller, more expensive, and less effective culinary torches.
•If your vanilla bean has dried out, place the whole bean in the cream mixture when bringing it up to a boil. Then remove the pod, split it lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the milk. Return the pod to mixture to steep.
•Michel has found that dried and ground light brown sugar makes the best topping for cr´me brûûlée. Spread the sugar in a baking dish and place in a 325°F oven until dry to the touch. (If you have older, drier sugar, it may not be necessary to dry it in the oven.) Place the sugar in a small food processor or coffee grinder and grind until fine.
