This is somewhere between an affogato, a creme brulee and a nutty meringue. It works just as well without the shot of espresso, so it’s great for all the family. Both the custard and the meringue can be made in advance (the custard a day before, the meringue up to a week ahead), ready to bring together just before serving.
Ingredients
FOR THE BAKED CUSTARD
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200ml double cream
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200g milk
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75g light, soft, brown sugar
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scraped seeds of 1 vanilla pod
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4 egg yolks (reserve 2 of the whites for the brittle)
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½ tsp salt
FOR THE MERINGUE BRITTLE
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2 egg whites
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½ tsp salt
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150g caster sugar
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50g blanched hazelnuts, toasted, half blitzed to form a fine powder and half roughly chopped
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1 tsp cornflour (check gluten-free if required)
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1 tsp cider vinegar
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40g desiccated coconut
TO SERVE
Method
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Step 1
Preheat the oven to 230C fan‑forced (250C conventional).
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Step 2
Combine the baked custard ingredients in a small saucepan and place on medium heat. Cook, whisking often, for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture has the consistency of a thin custard.
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Step 3
Strain into a 30cm x 20cm baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes. The top will have blackened in patches and the custard will look totally curdled (which is just as it should be).
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Step 4
Transfer to a small bowl, making sure to include all the browned bits from the sides. Then, using a stick blender, blitz for about 30 seconds until really smooth, shiny and glossy, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Keep refrigerated for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
For the meriNGue brittle
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Step 1
Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced (170C conventional) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
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Step 2
Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until starting to stiffen. Pour in the caster sugar, bit by bit, and whisk for another 3-5 minutes until the meringue is thick and shiny.
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Step 3
Using a spatula, fold in the blitzed hazelnuts, cornflour, cider vinegar and coconut.
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Step 4
Dot a tiny amount of meringue underneath each corner of the baking paper to make it stick to the baking tray. Spread the meringue thinly on the prepared tray, making sure to cover the entire surface, and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool, then break into rough shards.
To Serve
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When ready to serve, gently stir the custard to loosen it: it should have a soft, pudding-like consistency. Spoon into four small glasses and top with the meringue shards. Serve with the espresso shots, if using, pouring in as much or as little as you like
This recipe is from Ottolenghi Comfort (Ebury Press, $65); available now.
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