Ingredients

Step by step

1. Put the milk, double cream, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (from the 100g) into a medium pan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 150°C, fan 130°C, gas 2. Put 6 x 200ml ramekins in a roasting tray and fill the tray halfway up the sides of the ramekins with cold water.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks, lemon extract and remaining sugar (of the 100g) with an electric hand whisk until pale and fluffy – this will take about 2 minutes. Sieve the infused milk onto the egg mixture and mix well with a spoon.
   Tip

   You can buy a Tala cook's blowtorch online at sainsburys.co.uk. Or, if you prefer, you can skip the brûlée step and simply top the custards with summer berries instead.
4. Using a small jug, fill the ramekins almost to the top – Eric's tip is to fill them in the oven, sliding out the oven rack, to avoid any spillage. Bake for 1 hour until the mixture is set but still wobbly in the centre. Carefully remove the ramekins from the hot water, leave them to cool, then cover and chill them for at least 6 hours or overnight.
5. To brûlée the tops, sprinkle a tablespoon of caster sugar onto each custard and use a cook's blowtorch to melt and caramelise it. It'll harden in 5 minutes as it cools.