Crème brûlée of leeks, asparagus, hops, herbs and flowers | Antonio Ziantoni

Ingredients for 2 people

For the leek cream

• 100 g leeks
• 100 ml vegetable broth
• Oil to taste
• Garlic to taste
• Thyme to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

For the crème brûlée

• 50 g cream of leeks
• 250 ml liquid cream
• 75 ml milk
• 40 g sugar
• 3 g salt
• 4 yolks
• Pepper to taste
• Vanilla bean to taste
• Brown sugar to taste

For the Wild Herb Salad

• Wild asparagus
• Hops
• Cress
• Artemisia
• Borage
• Geranium
• Centocchio
• Burdock

Procedure

For the Creamed Leeks

Roughly chop leeks, sauté some oil, a clove of garlic and thyme. Add leeks and vegetable broth or water. Cook for 30 minutes and then blend with a blender.

For the crème brûlée

Pour the milk and cream into a small saucepan. Add the vanilla bean and seeds.

Then bring gently to a boil.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a bowl along with the sugar and cream of leeks. Mix with a whisk.

When the milk and cream mixture has come to a boil, remove the vanilla and pour a little at a time into the bowl with the leeks, stirring constantly to make a smooth mixture.

Pour the mixture into a cocotte and place it inside a baking dish with water so as to create a bain-marie.

Bake at 100 degrees for 60 minutes.

Dish composition

Let cool, cut with a ramekin, sprinkle with brown sugar and burn with a blowtorch.

Lay on a plate and sprinkle with the wild herbs and spring flowers.