Crème caramel

Makes 7 ramekins

Serve the crème caramel well-chilled © Lisa Barber

500g/17oz caster sugar
500ml/17fl oz milk
500ml/17fl oz double-cream
2 whole organic free-range eggs
9 organic free-range egg yolks

Place 300g/10oz of the sugar in a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized saucepan over a high heat, swirling every now and then until it begins to turn a light golden brown. Cook for another two minutes without stirring until it turns a deep, golden brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar as it will give the final dish a bitter flavour.

Quickly spoon two tablespoons of the caramel into seven small ramekins, dividing the caramel equally among the dishes. Place the moulds in a roasting dish.

Pour the milk and cream into a separate heavy-bottomed pan and place over a medium heat. As the milk comes to just under a simmer, remove the pan from the stove and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas3.

Combine the yolks and whole eggs and the remaining sugar together in a bowl and whisk together until just combined. Gradually whisk the warm milk into the eggs, then pour this custard back into the pan in which you have heated the milk and place over a low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from the stove and ladle the warm custard on top of the set caramel.

Pour enough hot water into a roasting tin to fill up to 1cm from the top of the ramekins. Cook in the oven for one hour. Remove, then allow to cool before refrigerating overnight. Serve well chilled.