BON APPÉTIT

French restaurant favourites are enjoying a mini revolution in the UK. Matthew Ryle, executive chef at Maison François and author of French Classics, shares some easy yet elevated takes on bistro staples

- BECKY DONALDSON

CRÈME CARAMEL

Serves 4 Takes 1 hour, plus at least 2 hours chilling

This velvety set custard, infused with vanilla, with its rich, dark, caramel syrup, balances indulgence and lightness and is surprisingly easy to make, so it's one of France's most popular desserts.

It's a dish I first came across long before I appreciated what I was eating. It came in a plastic pot with a tag on the bottom that, when you pulled it, caused the dessert to slip out onto your plate as if by magic.

Although the flavours were not memorable, I remember the silky mouthfeel and always try to replicate it. Here, I've used a mix of milk and whipping cream.

You can use vanilla extract instead of pods, but it won't have quite the same flavour. This is a great make-ahead recipe and will sit in the fridge for a few days.

There are two main points to consider when making crème caramel: first, the colour of the caramel must be a deep brown: too light and it will taste merely sweet with no caramel flavour.

Second, the egg mixture must be cooked until just set; it still needs to have a wobble, otherwise you'll lose that magical melt-in-the-mouth texture.

INGREDIENTS

You will need four small ramekins, each 9 x 5cm

• 140g/5oz caster sugar

• 20ml/¾fl oz (4 tsp) hot water

• 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

• 200ml/7fl oz whole milk

• 100ml/4fl oz whipping cream

• 2 vanilla pods, split lengthways and seeds scraped out, or 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C, fan 130°C, gas 2.