Brandy poached raspberry and mascarpone crème brûlée

Step 1

To start the dish, warm the brandy and sugar in a pan to dissolve the sugar, then chill

Step 2

Add the raspberries to the liquid and leave in the fridge until needed - the raspberries will last up to 2 months if kept in the liquid

Step 3

To make the brûlée, add the split vanilla pods to a pan with the cream and mascarpone and bring to the boil

Step 4

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale and smooth. Once the cream has boiled, carefully pour the mixture onto the eggs, stirring continuously until incorporated and smooth. Pass the custard through a sieve into a bowl and skim any excess fat from the surface

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2

Step 6

Divide the soaked raspberries between 6 brûlée dishes, top with the custard mixture and cook in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, until they have a slight wobble when shaken but are set in the middle. If using deeper dishes, place in a bain marie before cooking. Once cooked, remove from the oven and chill

Step 7

Once ready to serve, dust the brûlées with icing sugar and use a blow torch to caramelise the surface (you can repeat this process for an extra crispy top). Once the tops of the brûlées are set and crisp with the raspberries, serve immediately