Ingredients

Before you start

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F.
2. Line a shallow baking pan with a kitchen towel. Have a pot of boiling water ready to add to the pan later
3. Pour the lemon juice into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the juice is reduced to about 1/3 of the original amount, 3-5 min. Set aside.
4. In another saucepan, combine the cream and sugar, then cook over medium heat, with occasional stirring, until steam rises from the surface, about 3-5 min. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down for about 15 min.
5. Separate the egg whites and yolks. Set the whites aside in a glass jar with a lid and put them in the refrigerator or freezer for a future use in another recipe. Put the yolks in a bowl, add the vanilla and mix until smooth and well combined. Slowly add the cream mixture, whisking constantly, then stir in the reduced lemon juice. Divide the custard among the ramekins. Place the ramekins in the prepared baking pan and add the boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
6. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 min, until the custards are just set. Check with a toothpick or knife to see if they are cooked through. When done, remove the ramekins from the pan and let them cool down to room temperature, about 1 h, then chill them in the refrigerator for at least 2 h or overnight.
7. Just before serving, preheat the broiler.
8. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over each custard, put the ramekins in the oven close to the upper element (about 3 cm) and broil a couple minutes until the tops have caramelized to a golden brown colour. Serve right away.

Remarks

The custards can be kept up to 4 days in the refrigerator before the final caramelising step covered with a sheet of plastic wrap. Before serving, very gently blot the top surfaces with paper towels before sprinkling with the sugar and caramelizing.