by SippitySup
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Burnt Offerings's Testing Notes:
Expand CollapseSippitySup's Notes:
Expand3/4 cups heavy cream, divided Ask a question about this ingredient
3 ounces bitter sweet chocolate, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup whole espresso or dark roast coffee beans Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cups whole milk Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
4 large egg yolks Ask a question about this ingredient
lightly sweetened whipped cream, to taste (optional) Ask a question about this ingredient
Bring a medium saucepan half filled with water to a simmer. Put 1/2 cup of the cream and the chopped chocolate into a heat proof bowl. Choose a bowl that will snugly fit on top of the saucepan without touching the water. Stir until melted and well combined. Remove from heat, set aside.
Ask a question about this stepPut the coffee beans and Sichuan peppercorns in the bowl of a mortar and pestle. Lightly work them into a roughly crushed mixture. Do not grind into a powder.
Ask a question about this stepAdd the crushed coffee and Sichuan peppercorns along with the remaining 1/4 cup cream, all of the milk and the sugar to another small sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a near boil, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let the flavors infuse, covered about 30 minutes. Return the pan to low heat and bring the mixture back to a simmer.
Ask a question about this stepPreheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks together well, then slowly pour the 1/3 of the warmed cream and milk through a strainer into the yolks. Whisk to combine. Repeat 2 more times until all of the cream and milk is incorporated. Discard the solids and rinse out the strainer.
Ask a question about this stepNext pour the egg, cream and milk mixture through the rinsed strainer (to remove any coddled egg) directly into the bowl with the melted chocolate. Stir to combine.
Ask a question about this stepArrange four 4 or 5 ounce espresso or custard cups in a small baking dish so that they do not touch. Fill each cup nearly to the top with the custard mixture. Fill the baking dish with enough warm water to come about halfway up the sides of the cups. Cover the pan with plastic wrap (it won't melt). Poke 2 or 3 holes in the plastic wrap and carefully move the pan to the oven. Bake about 40 to 45 minutes, until the edges begin to darken and the custards are barely set. They will continue to cook once removed from the oven.
Ask a question about this stepRemove the pan from the oven and let it sit covered about 10 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and take the cups out of the water to come to room temperature. At this point they can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to one day.
Ask a question about this stepServe at room temperature, with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional).
Ask a question about this stepThey came out just fine with the foil covering! I think my neighbors were disappointed in the small serving size since I always share my desert tests with them to get unbiased opinions ;-)
This is the review I sent in, in case they edit it for length: SippitySup's take on a classic Pot de Creme results in a densely creamy, intense coffee flavor, but the subtle kick and mouth numbing sensation from the Szechuan peppercorns really puts it over the top. I had trouble tracking down these elusive peppercorns. They were banned in the US for most of the 90's and early 2000's over the concerns about the risk of a citrus canker they can carry. They are available again, but finding them turned out to be tricky. I finally ordered them online from Amazon - search them out - they provide a truly unique twist on this recipe, and you'll find yourself using them again and again. This recipe calls for steeping the crushed coffee and peppercorns in the milk and cream to infuse the flavors. This allows you to control the coffee and pepper intensity. I found 30 minutes to be just about right, but you can steep more or less to your tastes. Straining the coffee mixture twice - once into the eggs, and again into the chocolate/cream, may sound fussy, but it absolutely makes the difference in texture and smoothness. Two notes - the recipe calls for covering the dish with plastic wrap - mine melted completely and I had to throw it all out and start over. Try using aluminum foil instead to be safe. Also, I would increase the milk to 1 1/2 cups to provide more volume for four servings. This recipe makes 4 servings, but they are barely 1/4 cup each. As written, it makes 2, nice sized servings.
Cannot WAIT to test this! Heading down to Rockville on Saturday to meet Amanda and get Sichuan peppercorns. Just ran out a few weeks ago.
This looks and sounds amazing. Saving this and look forward to trying.
This sounds absolutely wonderful. I just can't wait to make this. Hopefully this weekend!
This looks really intriquing and delish!
Miranda is an editor at Food52.
Thanks for such a thoughtful write up. I am sorry the plastic wrap melted. That never happens to me. I do buy the heavy duty commercial stuff that comes in rolls as heavy as me, because I like to watch them cook so I know exactly when to take them out. Personally I would skip covering them rather use foil which may raise the temp inside the dish and toughen the custard.