Sea Salt & Banana Crème Brûlée

A classic crème brûlée, re-imagined with ripe banana and a whisper of sea salt. The custard’s subtle sweetness finds its perfect match in our Riesling Icewine, where concentrated fruit and vibrant acidity bring balance.

Recipe

Yield: 4 Portions | Suggested Pairing: Mission Hill Terroir Riesling Icewine

Ingredients

Custard

• 250 ml whipping cream
• 1 very ripe banana, mashed
• ½ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 3 egg yolks
• 60 ml granulated sugar
• 5 ml sea salt

Brûlée

• Granulated sugar, as needed for finishing
• Optional toppings (fresh fruit, candied nuts, mint)

Method

1. Prep

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 °F / 160 °C.
2. Arrange four shallow, oven-safe ramekins in a roasting pan.

2. Infuse Cream

1. Combine cream, mashed banana, and split vanilla bean in a small saucepan.
2. Warm over medium-low heat for 10 minutes to infuse (do not boil).

3. Whisk Yolks

1. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar, sea salt, and scraped vanilla seeds until smooth.

4. Temper & Combine

1. Raise heat; bring cream just to a simmer, then remove from stove.
2. Whisking constantly, ladle a little hot cream into yolks to temper.
3. Continue adding in stages until fully combined. Discard vanilla pod.

5. Bake

1. Divide custard among ramekins.
2. Pour hot water into roasting pan to reach 1 cm up the sides of the ramekins.
3. Bake 30–40 min, until centres are just set.

6. Chill

1. Cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 72 hours.

7. Brûlée & Serve

1. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over each custard.
2. Caramelize with a torch or under a hot broiler until deep golden.
3. Rest 5–10 minutes to let the sugar shell set. Garnish as desired.