Trio of Crèmes Brûlées of Tiny Fruit
Executive Chef John Besh
 
Serves 4
 
Ingredients
1 pint                    cream
5 each                    egg yolks
.5 cup                    granulated sugar
4 each                    lady apples
1 each                    vanilla bean
4 each                    passion fruit
4 each                    tamarillos
1 teaspoon                minced ginger
                          granulated sugar, to top
 
Procedure
Bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add egg yolks and sugar into a mixing bowl.  Pour the cream into the mixing bowl, whisking the eggs and sugar constantly to temper the mixture.  Mix well and pass through a fine mesh strainer.  Reserve this custard at room temperature for later use.
 
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Slice off the very top of the lady apples and core them using a small scoop, leaving the bottom intact.  Mix one-third of the custard with the pulp of one vanilla bean and pour into the apples.  Bake in pre-heated oven until set, approximately 10 minutes.
 
Slice off the very top of the passion fruit.  Remove and reserve the pulp and mix with one-third of the custard.  Pass the mix through a strainer and pour into the passion fruit.  Bake in pre-heated oven (300 degrees F) until set, approximately 8 minutes.
 
Slice off the very top of the tamarillos.  Remove and reserve the pulp.  Mix with minced ginger and blend with the remaining third of the custard.  Pour the mixture into the tamarillo and bake in pre-heated oven (300 degrees F) until set, approximately 10 minutes.
 
When set, remove all of the small fruit from the oven and allow to cool.  To serve, cover the top of the fruit-filled custards with granulated sugar and melt until slightly brown with a torch or under the broiler.  Serve one of each on a single plate.