Creme Brûlée with Cornish Sea Salt Caramel Sauce

Instructions

Orange shortbread:

• Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
• Beat butter, sugar and orange zest together until smooth.
• Add the seaweed sea salt and combine together.
• Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste. Turn on to a floured work surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm/½in thick.
• Cut into rounds or fingers, place onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with caster sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Crème brûlée:

• Melt butter, sugars with the double cream in a small heavy based pan gently stir and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it has thickened. Add the sea salt and very careful pour into the ramekins and place in the fridge to cool and set.
• Pour the cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds in the cream.
• Chop the empty pod into small pieces, and add them to the cream along with lemon zest.
• Bring the cream to boiling point, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for five minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat the sugar and egg yolks together in a large heatproof bowl until pale and fluffy.
• Bring the cream back to boiling point. Pour it over the egg mixture, whisking continuously until thickened - this indicates that the eggs have begun to cook slightly.
• Pour the cream mixture back into heavy bottom sauce pan and cook the custard on a low heat staring all the times until the custard riches 85c, do not over heat as this will split the mixture.
• Pour the custard into a bowl and place over iced water and stir over the iced water for 5 minutes to cool the custard slightly.
• Gently pour the custard on top of the salted caramel sauce and cover and place into the fridge for 2 hours or until required.
• Sprinkle with a small amount of caster sugar, using a blow torch or preheated grill caramelise the top until the sugar has melted, leave to stand until the caramel has set, please be careful as the caramel is very hot.
• Serve with a seaweed and orange short bread biscuit.